The 11 Most Popular Governors Are All Republicans

Michael GinsbergApril 28, 2022

The eleven most popular state governors are all Republicans, a series of polls released Thursday by Morning Consult found.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker is the most popular statewide executive, with a 74% approval rating, the polling firm found, following by Vermont Gov. Phil Scott and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan. Morning Consult surveyed at least 601 registered voters in each state between Jan. 1 and March 31, with a margin of error of 1.4%.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is the most popular Democrat, the survey found, with 59% approval and a 23% net rating.

NEW: Most governors facing re-election this year are quite liked at home, but Republicans dominate the list of America’s 10 most popular state chief executives.

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In addition to the three most popular chief executives, all of whom are blue state moderates, more conservative Republicans like Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon also polled in the top ten. In contrast, the five least popular governors are all Democrats, Morning Consult found. Kate Brown of Oregon is the least popular governor nationwide, with 41% approval and a -13% net rating. (RELATED: Joe Manchin’s Approval Rating Jumped The Most Of Any Senator In The Past Year)

The average Republican governor has a 58% approval rating, and the average Democratic governor has 51% approval. Out of the eight governors that have approval ratings below 50%, six are Democrats. The two Republicans, Doug Ducey of Arizona and Tate Reeves of Mississippi, are not running for re-election in 2022.

Congressional Republicans encouraged Scott and Hogan to run for Senate in the 2022 midterms, although both ultimately declined to do so. Of the three most popular governors, only Scott is running for re-election in November. New Hampshire’s Chris Sununu, the sixth-most popular governor, also declined entreaties from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to run for the upper chamber.

Thirty-six governorships, 20 held by Republicans and 16 held by Democrats, are up for grabs in November. In those races, 28 incumbents, fifteen Republicans and thirteen Democrats, are running for re-election.