The most popular politicians are usually those that get elected or re-elected. It is not too early in the election cycle to know which politicians will hold the edges later in 2022. Pollsters in many states have done and published data on who has the best chance of getting the most votes.
There will be 36 gubernatorial elections this year. That means in 72% of states, the top job could change hands.
Using public opinion data from research company Morning Consult, 24/7 Wall St. identified the state with the most popular governor. States are ranked by the approval rating of their sitting governor. All approval ratings are based on data collected between Jan. 1 and March 31, 2022, among a representative sample of over 600 registered voters in each state.
In keeping with the low approval of the Biden Administration, Republican governors are generally more popular than their Democratic counterparts. All of the 10 most popular governors are Republican, while seven of the 10 least popular governors are Democratic. On average, Republican governors enjoy a 58% approval rating, compared to 51% among Democratic governors.
According to a report by the independent, nonpartisan election research organization Cook Political Report, the closest races – those in which either party stands a good chance of winning – are in Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin. Only two of those states – Arizona and Georgia – have a Republican governor.
At a time when many states are imposing voting restrictions and a leaked Supreme Court opinion suggests that abortion rights could soon be decided at the state level, the stakes of the 2022 gubernatorial elections could be higher than they have been in recent memory.
The most popular governor in America is Charles D. Baker (R) of Massachusetts. Here are the details:
> Popularity: 74% approve, 21% disapprove
> In office since: 2015
> Running for office in 2022?: No
Click here to read America’s Most Popular Governors
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