All but one of the ten most popular governors are Republicans, according to quarterly polling data released Thursday.
The top spot went to Republican Gov. Charlie Baker of Massachusetts with an approval rating of 74%, Morning Consult found. The state officeholder maintained his ranking and rating from the polling firm‘s last go-round of results. Vermont’s Republican Gov. Phil Scott followed closely, with a 73% approval rating from voters in his state. Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky was the only Democrat to place among America’s top ten and is expected to face a tough reelection battle next fall, Morning Consult confirmed.
NEW: Most Americans still like their governors — only 8 have less than 50% approval ratings.
Our latest quarterly ranking: https://t.co/6QGN1lcRRf pic.twitter.com/BiSBqPB5eb
— Eli Yokley (@eyokley) October 11, 2022
The least popular governors both have terms ending early 2023, with each state hosting competitive, open-seat elections next month, Morning Consult noted. More than half of Oregon voters disapprove of Gov. Kate Brown’s job performance ahead of next month’s open seat election, according to poll results. The Democrat governor managed a meager 40% approval rating from constituents. Republican Gov. Doug Ducey (AZ) fared just slightly better with 42% approval from voters, polls showed. (RELATED: Gov. Whitmer’s Approval Rating Drops 17% In Eight Months, Data Shows)
Voters in 36 of 50 states will head to the polls this year to elect governors, according to Politico. With less than a month before Michigan’s gubernatorial elections, Democrat Gov. Gretchen Whitmer enjoyed a bump in approval ratings, but leads Republican challenger Tudor Dixon by just 6 percentage points, new polling data shows. Voters criticized Whitmer for strict lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a huge decline in approval ratings, the Daily Caller reported. Republican Governors Brian Kemp (GA) and Ron DeSantis (FL) also enjoyed high ratings from voters ahead of next month’s election, as both seek to maintain their seats.