Being governor doesn't wear down Phil Scott. In his fourth term, the Republican governor of Vermont topped the ranking of the governors with the best performance in office published this month by Moring Consult.
Scott is used to ranking first among his peers. The same pollster rated him as the most popular governor in 2022 and 2021. More importantly, he is no stranger to good electoral results. In 2022, he won every city and town in Vermont, and in 2020, he broke the record of gubernatorial votes in the state.
In the latest Moring Consult poll, the businessman and racing driver received 84% approval from Vermont voters. Only 13% disapproved of his performance. Furthermore, between Scott and his closest follower, Mark Gordon, governor of Wyoming, there is a 10% margin of favorability.
The 10 most loved
The top 10 highest rated governors has both Republicans and Democrats, although it has more red than blue.
In addition to Scott, the the Republican Party governors that appear among the ten best rated are: Wyoming Governor Gordon (with a 74% positive rating), New Hampshire's Chris Sununu (64%), Alabama's Kay Ivey (63%), South Dakota's Kristi Noem (62%), West Virginia's Jim Justice (61%), and Utah's Spencer Cox (60%).
Hawaii Governor Josh Green (66%), Colorado Governor Jared Polis (61%), and Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont (61%) are the Democrats who round out the top 10.
The 10 least popular
While a Republican (Phil Scott) is the most popular governor, the least-liked governor also hails from the GOP. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has equal percentages of approval and disapproval: 48% and 48%.
However, the Republican Party does better when considering the 10 least popular. There are three Republicans and seven Democrats: Reynolds, Tate Reeves of Mississippi (46%) and Ron DeSantis of Florida (45%) on the Republican side; Jay Inslee of Washington (46%), John Bel Edwards of Louisiana (44%), Janet Mills of Maine (43%), Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico (42%), Tina Kotek of Oregon (41%), and Kathy Hochul from New York (41%) from the Democratic Party.
For the second month in a row, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds is America's most unpopular governor.
According to our latest data, 48% of Iowa voters disapprove of Reynolds' job performance. View more: https://t.co/SwxGHernZt pic.twitter.com/7zY6GTFirh
— Morning Consult (@MorningConsult) November 27, 2023
Governors up for re-election
Ron DeSantis and Doug Burgum are, at the moment, the only governors running for president. Polls place both far from winning the primaries of their respective parties, with DeSantis in the GOP and Burgum running for the Democratic Party.
Both use their experience as governor to highlight their respective campaigns, both because they maintain that it shows that they have experience governing and because it serves as an example of what they would do if they won the presidency.
As the governor of a state that helps fuel and feed the world, I understand how our country has the opportunity to be a dominant energy and food superpower. It starts with making Joe Biden a one-term president!
— Doug Burgum (Text "DOUG" to 70177) (@DougBurgum) November 26, 2023
Today, Moody’s Investor Services affirmed Florida’s AAA credit rating and stable outlook just days after revising the federal government’s outlook from stable to negative.
While a lack of leadership in Washington has led to a decline in our nation’s fiscal health, Florida…
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) November 14, 2023
Doug Burgum enjoys a positive image within North Dakota, with 59% of his residents rating his performance positively, while 26% disapprove of his management. DeSantis' performance is worse: 51% are satisfied with his work as governor, compared to 45% who rate him unfavorably.
As for the governors up for re-election, the results of the latest Morning Consult poll are favorable:
According to our latest data, the four governors up for re-election in 2024, all Republicans, are in good shape. https://t.co/SwxGHerVP1 pic.twitter.com/m2ofIVqdQl
— Morning Consult (@MorningConsult) November 27, 2023
