A combined survey conducted by researchers at Harvard, Rutgers, Northwestern, and Northeastern universities has found that residents of more than 40 states are unsatisfied with the way their governors have handled the coronavirus pandemic.
Among the highest-rated responses for governors are Vermont Gov. Phil Scott, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Researchers found that more than 70% of residents in each state approve of the job that their governors have done. Governors who acted “proactively” to mitigate the spread of the disease scored the highest marks.
“In general, governors that have sought to reopen have been out in front of their citizens,” wrote Matthew Baum, co-author of the study. “They’ve moved faster than the public was comfortable moving. The governors who are doing really well are the ones that have acted most proactively.”
The states where residents are most pleased with the performance of their governors have been split along party lines. Of the six governors with the highest approval ratings, three are Republicans and three are Democrats.
Republican governors make up the majority of the bottom of the list, with 14 of the 15 lowest-ranked state executives belonging to the GOP. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, has seen support rise after her outspoken rejection of harsh restrictions. Noem said on Wednesday she expects children to return to school in the fall.
The poll was conducted by the COVID-19 Consortium for Understanding the Public’s Policy Preferences Across States and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 1 percentage point.
