It is no wonder Republicans are attempting to recruit Vermont Gov. Phil Scott to run for Senate in 2022; he is the most popular governor, according to a fresh poll.
Scott registered a sky-high 79% job approval in Morning Consult polling. With ratings like that, the Republican governor could make a race for Senate in a deep blue state such as Vermont competitive — or at least force the Democrats to spend precious resources to ensure the seat being relinquished by retiring Sen. Pat Leahy stays in the fold.
Scott made clear this week he is not running for Senate, but the support he enjoys working in Vermont, a state that voted for President Joe Biden over former President Donald Trump 66% to 31%, is remarkable amid the partisan rancor that has enveloped politics. And yet, Scott is not the only Republican governing a majority Democratic state that is enjoying high job approval ratings.
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The two most popular chief executives after Scott are Gov. Charlie Baker of Massachusetts (72%) and Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland (70%). Coming in at No. 4 of most popular governors is Republican Chris Sununu of New Hampshire (67%.) The Granite State is competitive for Republicans, who control the legislature. But it is still a state that Biden won by 7.4 percentage points.
Meanwhile, two of the four most unpopular governors are Democrats who lead blue states, according to Morning Consult polling.
They include Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, who scored a 43% job approval, and Hawaii Gov. David Ige, whose rating clocked in at 45%. Another governor who ranks toward the bottom is Democrat Tony Evers, chief executive of Wisconsin, a competitive battleground that goes back and forth between the parties according to national political conditions. His approval rating also was 45%.
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Only one Republican, Gov. Doug Ducey of Arizona, joins these Democrats in the group of most unpopular chief executives, pulling a 44% job approval rating. Overall, the nation’s governors are in much better political shape than party leaders in Washington. Biden’s average job approval rating is sitting at 41%, with Congress held in even lower esteem, at 22%.
The Morning Consult polling data was compiled from registered voters during a period running from late July to late October. The margin of error was 4 percentage points.
