(Angus Reid Global Scan) – Connecticut Republican Jodi Rell holds the highest approval rating of any governor in the United States, according to a 50-state poll conducted by SurveyUSA. 81 per cent of respondents in the Constitution State are satisfied with her performance.
(Angus Reid Global Scan) – Connecticut Republican Jodi Rell holds the highest approval rating of any governor in the United States, according to a 50-state poll conducted by SurveyUSA. 81 per cent of respondents in the Constitution State are satisfied with her performance.
West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin is next on the list with 80 per cent, followed by North Dakota Republican John Hoeven with 76 per cent, Republican Jon Huntsman of Utah with 75 per cent, Oklahoma Democrat Brad Henry with 74 per cent, Republican Mike Rounds of South Dakota with 72 per cent, and New Hampshire Democrat John Lynch with 70 per cent.
The average approval rating for U.S. governors is 53 per cent. The lowest-ranked politicians are Republicans Ernie Fletcher of Kentucky with 35 per cent, Missouri Republican Matt Blunt with 33 per cent, California Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger and Louisiana Democrat Kathleen Blanco with 32 per cent each, Republican Frank Murkowski of Alaska with 26 per cent, and Republican Bob Taft of Ohio with 14 per cent.
Polling Data
State | Name | Party | Approve | Disapprove |
Connecticut | Rell, Jodi | R | 81% | 14% |
West Virginia | Manchin, Joe | D | 80% | 16% |
North Dakota | Hoeven, John | R | 76% | 18% |
Utah | Huntsman, Jon | R | 75% | 19% |
Oklahoma | Henry, Brad | D | 74% | 23% |
South Dakota | Rounds, Mike | R | 72% | 23% |
New Hampshire | Lynch, John | D | 70% | 20% |
Wyoming | Freudenthal, Dave | D | 68% | 21% |
Arizona | Napolitano, Janet | D | 67% | 29% |
Montana | Schweitzer, Brian | D | 64% | 27% |
Nebraska | Heineman, Dave | R | 64% | 23% |
New Mexico | Richardson, Bill | D | 64% | 32% |
Florida | Bush, Jeb | R | 62% | 35% |
Hawaii | Lingle, Linda | R | 61% | 32% |
Vermont | Douglas, Jim | R | 61% | 30% |
Arkansas | Huckabee, Mike | R | 60% | 36% |
Georgia | Perdue, Sonny | R | 60% | 34% |
Kansas | Sebelius, Kathleen | D | 60% | 30% |
Colorado | Owens, Bill | R | 59% | 36% |
Nevada | Guinn, Kenny | R | 58% | 32% |
Idaho | Kempthorne, Dirk | R | 56% | 34% |
Virginia | Kaine, Tim | D | 56% | 30% |
Maryland | Ehrlich, Robert | R | 55% | 39% |
Minnesota | Pawlenty, Tim | R | 54% | 41% |
Tennessee | Bredesen, Phil | D | 53% | 42% |
Alabama | Riley, Bob | R | 52% | 43% |
Iowa | Vilsack, Tom | D | 52% | 40% |
Rhode Island | Carcieri, Don | R | 52% | 42% |
North Carolina | Easley, Michael | D | 50% | 38% |
Pennsylvania | Rendell, Edward | D | 50% | 45% |
Mississippi | Barbour, Haley | R | 48% | 46% |
South Carolina | Sanford, Mark | R | 47% | 47% |
Texas | Perry, Rick | R | 47% | 45% |
Washington | Gregoire, Christine | D | 47% | 47% |
New Jersey | Corzine, Jon | D | 46% | 38% |
Massachusetts | Romney, Mitt | R | 45% | 49% |
New York | Pataki, George | R | 45% | 49% |
Wisconsin | Doyle, Jim | D | 45% | 47% |
Illinois | Blagojevich, Rod | D | 41% | 54% |
Maine | Baldacci, John | D | 41% | 54% |
Michigan | Granholm, Jennifer | D | 41% | 54% |
Delaware | Minner, Ruth | D | 40% | 55% |
Indiana | Daniels, Mitch | R | 39% | 55% |
Oregon | Kulongoski, Ted | D | 38% | 54% |
Kentucky | Fletcher, Ernie | R | 35% | 57% |
Missouri | Blunt, Matt | R | 33% | 63% |
California | Schwarzenegger, Arnold | R | 32% | 65% |
Louisiana | Blanco, Kathleen | D | 32% | 65% |
Alaska | Murkowski, Frank | R | 26% | 69% |
Ohio | Taft, Bob | R | 14% | 82% |
U.S. Average | 53% | 40% |
Source: SurveyUSA
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 600 adult residents of each of the country’s 50 states, conducted from Feb. 10 to Feb. 12, 2006. Margins of error for each state range from 3.8 to 4.1 per cent.
