Beverly Perdue may have endorsed Barack Obama, but she's got a Hillary Clinton pollster working for her.

After Clinton demoted chief strategist Mark Penn, she replaced him with veteran Democratic pollster Geoff Garin, who is more of easy-going, according to CNBC:

An ardent fan of the Washington Nationals baseball team, Mr. Garin cast his campaign role as that of "the seventh inning guy instead of the starter." But his genial relationships throughout the party may offer some reassurance that the endgame of the nomination fight won't prove as damaging to Democratic hopes this fall as some have feared.

His firm, Garin-Hart-Yang Research Group, is currently working as pollster for Perdue, but the polling is being done by Garin's partner Fred Yang.

As with the national race, Democrats are hoping the gubernatorial nomination fight won't be too bruising.

Who's polling for the gubernatorial candidates?

Justin Guillory at Public Policy Polling has a good rundown of the pollsters hired by four of the five candidates.

On the Democratic side, state Treasurer Richard Moore has hired Peter Brodnitz of Benenson Strategy Group, pollster to Gov. Tim Kaine and U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, both of Virginia.

Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue, meanwhile, has gone with Fred Yang of Garin-Hart-Yang, pollster for Gov. Mike Easley, Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania.

(Small world watch: Moore manager Jay Reiff also worked for the Casey campaign.)

On the Republican side, Salisbury attorney Bill Graham has chosen John McLaughlin of McLaughlin & Associates, who has worked for U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and former U.S. Sen. George Allen.

State Sen. Fred Smith picked Whit Ayres of Ayres, McHenry and Associates, which has worked for U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee.

Former Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr is not conducting polls.