America's Most Popular Governors

Mary Fallin will step down as governor of Oklahoma in January 2019 after serving two terms, the maximum allowed by state law. Republican Kevin Stitt will take the top job after defeating Democratic opponent Drew Edmondson in the general election. Fallin leaves office with the lowest approval rating of any governor.

Serving as Connecticut governor since 2011, Dan Malloy did not seek a third term. Malloy’s last day in office will come in January 2019 and Democrat Ned Lamont will take the job. Malloy maintains his low approval rating was not a factor in his decision not to run.

Incumbent Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner lost to Democratic challenger J.B. Pritzker in the 2018 general election by a staggering 15 point spread. Rauner’s 25% approval rating was the lowest of any incumbent running for re-election.

Bill Walker served as governor of Alaska from December 2014 until December 2018, about two months after he suspended his re-election campaign. Walker, who served during tough economic times in Alaska precipitated by plummeting oil prices, left office with nearly the lowest approval rating of any sitting governor. Alaska has the nation’s highest unemployment rate.

Matt Bevin was sworn in as as governor of Kentucky in December 2015 after defeating Democrat Jack Conway the previous month with 52.5% of the vote. Bevin intends to run for re-election in 2019 despite a 30% approval rating.

First inaugurated in January 2011, Rick Snyder served as governor of Michigan for two terms, the maximum allowed by law. Democrat Gretchen Whitmer took the top job in January 2019 after defeating Republican Bill Schuette in the general election.

Susana Martinez will finish her second term as governor of New Mexico in January 2019, being ineligible to run for a third consecutive term under New Mexico law. Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham will take the top job after defeating Republican Steve Pearce by 14.2 points in the general election.

Despite a 39% approval rating, Oregon governor Kate Brown defeated Republican challenger Knute Buehler in the 2018 general election and will remain governor for a second term.

Paul LePage was not eligible to run for re-election in 2018 after serving two consecutive terms as governor of Maine. Democrat Janet Mills took the top job LePage held for eight years in January 2019.

Former Lieutenant Governor of Kansas, Jeff Colyer, took the top job in January 2018 when then Gov. Sam Brownback accepted an ambassadorship in the Trump administration. Up for re-election the same year he took office, Colyer narrowly lost the Republican primary to Kris Kobach, who lost the general election to Democrat Laura Kelly. Kelly will be inaugurated in January 2019.

Republican Scott Walker served as governor of Wisconsin for eight years. Walker had a 42% approval rating going into the 2018 general election, which he lost by a slim margin to Democratic challenger Tony Evers.

Jim Justice, the polarizing Republican governor of West Virginia, ran for office and won as Democrat in 2016. About half a year into his first term, Justice re-registered as a Republican. Justice is up for re-election in 2020.

Republican Kim Reynolds served as the lieutenant governor of Iowa for about six years before taking the top job in May 2017, when former Gov. Terry Branstad took an ambassadorship in the Trump administration. Reynolds ran for governor in 2018 and defeated Democratic challenger Fred Hubbell.

Elected as lieutenant governor in 2016, Mike Parson took the top job after former Gov. Eric Greitens resigned in mid-2018 amid sexual misconduct allegations and investigations into misuse of voter data. Parson has a 43% approval rating but a sizable 41% of Missouri voters do not have a strong opinion about him yet.

After defeating Republican challenger Allan Fung in the November 2018 election, Gov. Gina Raimondo will be sworn in to a second term in January 2019. Raimondo won by a 15.3 margin despite a high disapproval rating.

Democrat Jerry Brown stepped down as governor of California in January 2019 after serving the state for two consecutive four-year terms, the maximum allowed by law. Brown also served as governor of California from 1975 to 1983.

Sworn in for the first time in January 2015, Republican Doug Ducey ran for re-election in 2018 and defeated Democratic challenger David Garcia. Ducey will not be eligible to run for a third term in 2022 as Arizona governors are limited to two consecutive terms.

Democrat Phil Murphy was elected governor of New Jersey in November 2017 and took office in January 2018. Murphy’s first term follows that of term-limited Republican Chris Christie, who departed as the least popular governor in the country with a 19% approval rating.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is in the middle of his second term after he ran for re-election in November 2016. Though Washington does not impose term limits on its governors, Inslee may not seek a third term as he is currently considering a bid for the presidency.

Democrat John Bel Edwards has served as governor of Louisiana since his swearing in January 2016. Edwards is up for re-election this year.

Defeating Republican challenger Scott Wagner in the 2018 general election, Democrat Tom Wolf has served as governor of Pennsylvania since his first inauguration on 2015. Wolf will not be eligible to run again in 2022 as Pennsylvania governors are limited to two consecutive terms.

Democrat Ralph Northam was elected governor of Virginia in 2017, after serving as the state’s lieutenant governor for four years.

After serving as New York’s governor for eight years, Democrat Andrew Cuomo defeated Republican challenger Marcus Molinaro in the November 2018 general election. New York has no term limits for governors, and Cuomo was sworn in for a third time in January 2019.

Republican Rick Scott served as governor of Florida for two consecutive terms, the maximum allowed by state law. Barred from running for a third term, Scott ran for the U.S. Senate, winning in November 2018 by a narrow margin. Scott left the Florida governor’s office in January 2019.

Democrat Mark Dayton served as the governor of Minnesota for eight years, stepping down in January 2019 after deciding not to seek a third term.

Republican John Kasich was elected governor of Ohio twice, first in 2010 and again 2014. He was barred by state law from seeking a third term. Republican Mike DeWine will become governor in January 2019 after defeating Democrat Richard Cordray in the November elections.

Democrat Roy Cooper took office in January 2017, after narrowly defeating incumbent Gov. Pat McCrory in the November 2016 general election. Cooper is up for re-election in 2020.

Republican Henry McMaster was elected lieutenant governor of South Carolina in 2014 and took the top job when former Gov. Nikki Haley was confirmed as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in January 2017. In November, McMaster defeated Democratic challenger James Smith. He will be sworn in for a four-year term in January 2019.

In Vermont, governors are up for re-election every two years. First sworn in in January 2017, Republican Phil Scott handily defeated Democratic challenger Christine Hallquist in November 2018.

Democrat John Hickenlooper served as governor of Colorado for two consecutive terms, the maximum allowed under state law. Democrat Jared Polis took the top job in January 2019 after winning the in the November 2018 elections.

Republican Matt Mead served as governor of Wyoming for two consecutive four-year terms, the maximum allowed under state law. In January 2019, Republican Mark Gordon was sworn in as Wyoming’s new governor.

Eric Holcomb was selected as the Republican gubernatorial nominee in for the 2016 general election, after incumbent candidate Mike Pence withdrew his candidacy when he became Donald Trump’s running mate. Holcomb defeated John Gregg, the Democratic candidate, and will face re-election in 2020.

First elected in November 2006, Republican Butch Otter served as governor of Idaho for 12 years. Otter chose not to run for a fourth term in 2018, and in January 2019, Republican Brad Little took over as governor.

Republican Pete Ricketts took office in January 2015. Ricketts won a bid for re-election against Democrat Bob Krist in November 2018.

After serving Hawaii for four years, David Ige was re-elected to the governor’s office in November 2018, defeating Republican challenger Andria Tupola by a wide margin. Ige will be prohibited by state law from running again in 2022.

Democrat John Carney was voted into office in November 2016, handily defeating Republican Colin Bonini in the general election. Carney is up for re-election in 2020.

Republican Phil Bryant was first sworn in as the Governor of Mississippi in January 2012. Re-elected in November 2015, Bryant is prevented by state law from seeking a third term in 2019.

Democrat Steve Bullock has served as Montana’s governor since his January 2013 inauguration. Bullock is in the middle of his second term after being re-elected in November 2016.

Doug Burgum was elected to the governor’s office in November 2016 with over 75% of the vote. Burgum is up for re-election in 2020.

Republican Bill Haslam was elected to office in 2010 and again in 2014. Restricted by state law, Haslam did not seek a third term. Haslam leaves office as the 11th most popular governor in the United States.

Republican Gary Herbert first served as Utah’s Lieutenant Governor under Jon Huntsman and took over as governor when Huntsman was appointed to ambassador to China in August 2009. Herbert has been voted back in three times, including a special election in 2010. His current term does not end until 2021. Utah does not place term limits on governors.

Republican Nathan Deal was elected to office in 2010 and again in 2014. Restricted by state law, Deal did not seek a third term. Republican Brian Kemp takes office in January 2019 and Deal will depart as one of the 10 most popular governors.

Restricted by term limits, Republican Brian Sandoval leaves office in January 2019 after serving for two terms. He is among the 10 most popular state governors with a 56% approval rating.

Republican Greg Abbott was first voted into the Texas Governor’s office in November 2014. Riding a near nation-leading 57% approval rating, Abbott defeated Democratic challenger Lupe Valdez in November 2018 by a 13.3 point margin. State laws do not restrict Abbott from seeking a third term.

Asa Hutchinson took office in January 2015. One of the most popular governors running for re-election, Hutchinson defeated Democratic challenger Jared Henderson by a staggering 33.7 point margin in November 2018. Hutchinson is prohibited by state law from seeking a third term in 2022.

Forced out by term limits, Republican Dennis Daugaard left office in January 2019 after serving as Governor of South Dakota for two consecutive terms. Republican Kristi Noem now serves as state governor.

In New Hampshire, governors are voted in on a two year basis, and after taking office in January 2017, Republican Chris Sununu was elected to a second term in November 2018. New Hampshire does not impose term limits on its governors.

Republican Kay Ivey first took office as lieutenant governor in 2011 and took the top job when former Gov. Robert Bentley resigned following an ethics investigation in April 2017. Re-elected in November 2018, Ivey has the third highest approval rating of any U.S. governor.

Republican Larry Hogan first took office in January 2015. With a near nation-leading 67% approval rating, Hogan defeated Democratic challenger Ben Jealous by 13.4 points margin in November 2018. Maryland state law restricts Hogan from seeking a third term in 2022.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker is the most popular governor in the country with a 70% approval rating as of October 2018. First elected governor in November 2014, Baker won re-election in November 2018 against Democratic challenger Jay Gonzalez by a 33.6 point margin. Massachusetts does not impose term limits on governors.