Gov. Charlie Baker has reclaimed his title as “Most Popular Governor in America,” according to a national poll released Tuesday.
The Morning Consult polled 85,000 registered voters across America to evaluate the job performance of their governors from January 2017 through March 2017 to determine approval rankings.
The most unpopular governor, you ask? None other than embattled New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
After an epic fail for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016, this year isn’t shaping up to be much better for Christie. Two of his top former aids were sentenced to years behind bars last month for their part in the Bridgegate scandal that caused major traffic jams on the George Washington Bridge during a rush hour commute in September 2013.
Christie’s approval rating is just 25 percent – putting him a full 50 points behind Baker.
Baker clawed his way back to the top this year with a 75 percent approval rating after falling into third place behind Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland and Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota, who now hold the second and third spots, respectively.
“[The Massachusetts and Maryland] governors have reputations as shrewd, bipartisan dealmakers who value results over party purity, and their constituents seem to appreciate that style,” the poll organizers wrote.
During his two years in the governor’s office, Baker has so far emphasized his belief in bipartisanship, rarely tying himself to partisan standpoints. Last session, he worked with Democrats to pass major bills dealing with renewable energy, opioid addiction and pay equity. This year, he vetoed legislation granting pay raises to lawmakers and statewide officeholders – mostly Democrats.
Baker has plenty of company from fellow Republicans on the popularity totem pole, as the 13 most popular governors in the country are Republicans.
The most popular Democratic governor is West Virginia’s first term Gov. Jim Justice, who came in at No. 15, according to the poll.
New York’s Gov. Andrew Cuomo, also a Democrat, clocked in at No. 22 on the list with a 62 percent approval rating. Thirty-one percent of pollsters said they disapproved of Cuomo’s job performance and 8 percent either didn’t know or had no opinion.
Another Democratic leader, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, made No. 36 on the list, with a 48 percent approval rating. His popularity was nearly split as 43 percent of voters said they didn’t approve of Wolf’s performance.
State House News Service contributed to this article.
