Wyoming Republican Governor Mark Gordon is popular among Wyoming voters. In fact, he’s tied for being the most popular governor in the nation, according to a recent poll.
Between April 1 and June 30, Morning Consult Political Intelligence asked 519 registered voters in Wyoming whether they approved or disapproved of the job Gordon was doing. The vast majority, 74%, approved.
Gordon’s office said, “…he is honored that the poll finds registered voters approve of the work he is doing as Governor of the great state of Wyoming.”
“As a majority Republican state, Wyoming voters seem to recognize the Governor’s commitment to conservative values,” Gordon Communication Director Michael Pearlman wrote in an email to Cowboy State Daily. “Governor Gordon’s policies and priorities – support for Wyoming’s energy and ag industries, his efforts to keep Wyoming on a stable fiscal path, and his belief in efficient, effective and accountable government – are a reflection of what he believes best serves the state’s people.”
Gordon’s 74% approval is the same percentage of Vermont voters who approved of the job their governor, Republican Phil Scott, was doing. But Scott had a slightly higher disapproval rating than Gordon did, coming in at 18% to Gordon’s 17%.
Scott’s electorate is decidedly different than Gordon’s. Gordon is a popular Republican governor in a state where registered Republican voters make up about 70 percent of that population.
There is no party registration in Vermont, according to the Green Mountain State’s secretary of state’s office. All registered voters can vote in the primary election, but must choose which party’s ballot to fill out. However Vermont’s U.S. Rep., Peter Welch, is a Democrat. One of its U.S. senators, Patrick Leahy, who has been serving the state since 1975, is a Democrat. The other U.S. Senator, Bernie Sanders, is an Independent who has positioned himself to the left of many Democrats. He’s been referred to as a Democratic Socialist.
In addition to Scott, some of the other top-10 governors in the poll are Republicans from left-leaning or blue states. This includes the third most popular governor, Charlie Baker of Massachusetts. His approval rating is 73%, one percentage point behind Gordon and Scott. His disapproval percentage is 20%.
Number four is Republican Governor Larry Hogan of solidly blue Maryland. He had a 70% approval and 22% disapproval rating, according to the poll.
Jim Justice, the Republican Governor of West Virginia is ranked fifth in the poll with 66% approval and 28% disapproval.
Chris Sununu, R-N.H., was the sixth most popular governor, according to the poll. Kristi Noem, R-S.D., was seventh. Asa Hutchinson, R-Ark., was eighth.
But Democratic or Republican, popular or unpopular, governors as a group are still generally more popular than President Joe Biden, according to a Morning Consult poll.
More than anywhere in the country, Wyoming voters disapprove of the job the president is doing. According to the poll, 76% of the voters in Wyoming disapprove of Biden’s job performance. West Virginia’s 75% disapproval of the president is close to Wyoming’s.
That poll showed Biden’s approval rating underwater in 44 states, but Senior Morning Consult reporter, Eli Yokley wrote, “Democratic incumbent governors up for re-election are “resisting Biden’s drag effect.”
“While most Democratic governors facing competitive re-election bids have seen their popularity decline since President Joe Biden took office, Morning Consult Political Intelligence surveys show most of this movement is marginal, and all of these incumbents remain more popular in their states than the beleaguered commander-in-chief,” Yokely wrote.
The most popular Democrat governor is Ned Lamont of Connecticut. He is ninth on the Morning Consult list. His 58% approval rating is 11% higher than President Biden’s in Connecticut.
Democrat governor of Colorado, Jared Polis’ approval rating, according to the survey, is 57%. This puts Polis in the top 10 most popular governors. He is tied with three others in that position- Republicans Doug Burgum of North Dakota, Kay Ivey of Alabama and Mike DeWine of Ohio.
Democrat Governor Dan McKee of Rhode Island was the least popular governor according to the Morning Consult. His approval rating was 38% with a disapproval rating of 43%.
