Two Republican governors, Gov. Phil Scott (R-VT) and Gov. Mark Gordon (R-WY), have the highest approval ratings among governors in the United States, according to a poll released on Monday.
More than three-quarters of voters in Vermont, 76%, approve of the job Scott is doing, while 69% of voters in Wyoming approve of Gordon's tenure, according to a Morning Consult survey. Gov. Josh Green (D-HI), Gov. Chris Sununu (R-NH), and Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY) all received 64% approval ratings.
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Of the 10 most popular governors, seven Republicans received the highest approval ratings. In addition to Scott, Gordon, Sununu, Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) at 63%, Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R-AK) at 62%, Gov. Kay Ivey (R-AL) at 62%, and Gov. Jim Justice (R-WV) at 62% round out the list.
Sununu announced last month that he would not launch a 2024 presidential campaign. "The stakes are too high for a crowded field to hand the nomination to a candidate who earns just 35% of the vote, and I will help to ensure this does not happen," he wrote in a dig at former President Donald Trump.
Beshear's popularity comes amid President Joe Biden's sinking approval ratings, a sign that the governor is not weighed down by the national climate for Democrats. Beshear, who is up for reelection this fall, garnered an approval rating of nearly 50% among Republicans in his state, while 90% of Democrats approve of him. The fall election between Beshear and Republican Daniel Cameron will be one of the most high-profile races to watch ahead of next year's presidential elections.
Gov. Tate Reeves (R-MS) is another incumbent governor facing reelection this fall, but his approval rating is at 48%, while 42% disapprove of him. Only 40% of independents and 19% of Democrats approve of Reeves, who will face Democrat Brandon Presley, Elvis Presley's cousin. However, 76% of Republicans approve of Reeves, a positive sign for his reelection bid.
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), also a 2024 presidential candidate, has a 54% approval rating, but the percentage of voters who disapprove of DeSantis increased between quarter 1 and quarter 2 of 2023. In the first quarter, 38% of Floridians disapproved of DeSantis, and in the second quarter, 42% of voters disapproved — a 4-point increase. Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND), the other current governor running in 2024, garnered a 57% approval rating.
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Gov. Tony Evers (D-WI) is the most disliked governor, with a 44% disapproval rating. He is followed by Gov. Jay Inslee (D-WA), who has a 43% disapproval rating and announced in May that he is not seeking reelection.
The survey has a margin of error that ranges from plus or minus 1 percentage point to plus or minus 6 percentage points.