Chris Christie is now America's Most Unpopular Governor
Another Republican governor in a blue state, Phil Scott of Vermont, is also off to a good start after winning in November: 68 percent of Vermonters approve of Scott, while 16 percent disapprove. His approval is considerably better than his Democratic predecessor’s, Peter Shumlin, who had a 53 percent approval rating and a 40 percent disapproval rating in our rankings from September.
Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina unseated embattled former Gov. Pat McCrory in November, amid the economic fallout of the state’s passage of the controversial legislation known as the “bathroom bill.” At the start, Cooper is much more popular than his Republican predecessor. Half (50 percent) of North Carolinians approve of the former state attorney general’s job performance, compared with 46 percent who approved of McCrory in September. Cooper’s disapproval rating sits at 29 percent, lower than the 44 percent who disapproved of McCrory’s job performance in the months ahead of the election.
Two governors elected in high-profile races in 2015 continue to make gains in the eyes of the public. Louisiana’s governor, John Bel Edwards, has the approval of 60 percent of Bayou Staters, up from 46 percent in September. His disapproval rating has dropped to 29 percent, down 10 points from the previous rankings. In Kentucky, Gov. Matt Bevin continues his upward trend after getting off to a rough start in the Bluegrass State. Half (50 percent) of Kentuckians approve of Bevin, up from 45 percent in September and 33 percent in early 2016. His disapproval rating is down 2 points from September, from 41 percent to 39 percent, and is down 9 points from early 2016, when 48 percent of Kentuckians disapproved of his job performance.
Other notes:
-Dan Malloy of Connecticut remains the most unpopular Democratic governor in the country, although he has bettered his image slightly among his constituents. Almost 3 in 10 (29 percent) of voters in Connecticut approve of his job performance, up from 26 percent in September. His disapproval is down, to 66 percent from 70 percent, from our previous rankings.
-Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) has improved his standing in traditionally blue Illinois. Forty-two percent of Illinoisans now approve of Rauner, up from 33 percent in September, while his disapproval rating has dropped from 56 percent to 49 percent over the same time period.
-Florida Gov. Rick Scott is also trending up. The Republican’s approval rating is up 8 points, from 49 percent to 57 percent, and his disapproval rating dropped 6 points, from 42 percent to 36 percent.
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster (R) was not included in the list because he recently replaced Nikki Haley, who now serves as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
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