As the country continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic while beginning to reopen, some governors are getting far more praise for their leadership than others.
A Washington Post-Ipsos poll conducted from April 27 to May 4 surveyed residents of a dozen states and found that most people approve of their governor’s handling of the health crisis.
The highest approval of the governors went to Republican Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio, who brought in 86% approval with just 14% of residents saying they didn’t like how he has been handling the pandemic. DeWine’s approval stands in stark contrast to fellow Republican Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia, for whom 61% expressed disapproval compared to 39% who approved. Kemp was the only governor of the states polled that received a higher disapproval rating than approval.
The two Republicans took very disparate tacks at the start of the pandemic, with DeWine shutting down the state early on while Kemp was slower to make the move. DeWine has also been cautious about reopening out of fears of a second wave, while Kemp drew bipartisan disagreement, even from President Trump, for moving to reopen facilities like barber shops and salons too soon.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, whose state has been hit the hardest and who took some of the most aggressive actions to fight the pandemic, received 81% approval of how he has handled the pandemic. California Gov. Gavin Newsom rounded out the top three highest approvals of the 12 states surveyed with 79% agreeing with how he has handled the crisis.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott had the second lowest approval after Kemp at 57%, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis rounded out the bottom three at 60% approval.
