America's most popular governors are all Republicans


The most popular governors in the country are all Republicans, a massive new Morning Consult poll has found. Curiously, many of the most favorable governors are in liberal-leaning states, including Massachusetts' Charlie Baker (R), who tops the list with a 69 percent approval rating. Maryland's Larry Hogan (R), Vermont's Phil Scott (R), and Brian Sandoval of Nevada (R), a swing state carried by Hillary Clinton in 2016, also rank in the top 10. The highest ranking Democrat is Montana's Steve Bullock, coming in at the 12th spot.
Many of the least popular governors are also Republicans. New Jersey's Chris Christie (R) sits in the poll's bottom spot, with 77 percent of voters disapproving of him, followed by Connecticut's Dan Malloy, a Democrat, and Kansas' Sam Brownback (R).
Overall, there are 34 Republican governors, 15 Democratic governors, and one independent governor in the U.S. The poll reached 255,000 registered voters between July 1 and Sept. 30, with margins of error varying by state. Read the full results and methodology at Morning Consult.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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