LITTLE ROCK—U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln’s approval rating is at its lowest level since she took office in 1999 and support for the Democratic lawmaker has dropped 11 percent in the past year, a poll released Thursday by the University of Arkansas showed.

The report suggests Lincoln is vulnerable as she seeks a third term in the Senate next year. The university’s poll, however, said that three-fourths of respondents aren’t following news about Lincoln’s re-election bid.

“There’s obviously still room for her numbers to come up and there’s room for the political environment to change but certainly that number and the decrease makes her look vulnerable and can make the noise from her opponents even louder,” said Janine Parry, director of the annual Arkansas Poll.

The poll reported that just 43 percent of Arkansans polled approve of the job Lincoln is doing as senator. She enjoyed a 54 percent approval rating last fall.

The university interviewed 754 Arkansans between Oct. 14 and Oct. 28. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. On average, poll respondents had a higher education level than the state as a whole. The percentage of black respondents was below the state percentage.

Seven Republicans have announced they’re seeking the GOP nomination to challenge Lincoln, and Democratic state Senate President Bob Johnson has said he may run against her in the primary.

Lincoln also saw her highest disapproval rating in the poll since taking office. Thirty-four percent of respondents said they disapproved of the job Lincoln is doing as senator. Last year, only 20 percent of respondents disapproved of her job performance.

Lincoln said she wasn’t concerned about the figures, and blamed the drop in her approval on the heavy campaigning against her by advocacy groups.

“If you’ve been watching the TV, listening to the radio or anything else, I’m getting hit from all sides. People don’t know what to believe,” Lincoln told reporters. “I hope they will continue to know that I’ll continue to fight for Arkansas just like I’ve always done and I’m going to fight to make the right choices.”