Politics

Gov. Charlie Baker is — again — the most popular governor in the U.S.

The Swampscott Republican is ending his tenure on a high note, a new poll shows.

Elise Amendola

April 28, 2022

Gov. Charlie Baker is going out on a high note.

A new survey from Morning Consult, the global enterprise technology company, shows the moderate Republican governor, who will not be seeking a third term this year, is the most popular governor in the country.

Baker carries a 74 percent approval rating, according to the poll, which surveyed 9,849 voters between Jan. 1 and March 31. In contrast, 21 percent of those polled disapproved of Baker’s leadership.

The Swampscott lawmaker has long enjoyed a favorable view from voters. Baker held the title of most-liked governor in the United States several times after he took office in 2015 before he dropped to third-most-popular in 2020.

Notably, Baker’s enduring popularity continues as he’s opted not to seek a third term. He said in December he’d decided against running again, in part, so his administration can keep focusing on larger issues like the state’s COVID-19 recovery rather than expending energy on the campaign trail.

And despite his popularity, Baker has also repeatedly made clear he has no ambitions to seek office at the federal level.

According to Morning Consult, Baker was only one of many Republicans that are well-liked by constituents.

POP-U-LAR:

“The average GOP governor has a higher approval rating than the average Democratic governor (58% to 51%), boosted by the popularity of a handful of blue-state Republicans,” writes Eli Yokley, a senior reporter at Morning Consult.

Not a single Democrat cracked the top 10.

Behind Baker, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott saw a 72 percent approval rating, followed by Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan with 71 percent.

Elsewhere in New England, Republican New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu ranked sixth with 63 percent approval; Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, a Democrat, received a 57 percent approval rating; and Maine’s Democratic Gov. Janet Mills is enjoying a 53 percent approval rating, the survey shows.

Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee, a Democrat, ranked 48th with an approval rating of 42 percent — just above his 40 percent disapproval among survey participants.

McKee was the Ocean State’s former lieutenant governor, who stepped into his current job when Gov. Gina Raimondo left to serve the Biden Administration as Secretary of Commerce last year.

He has seen a sharp drop in support during his first year in office.

In last year’s third quarter survey, McKee had a 60 percent approval rating, according to Morning Consult.

The plunge means McKee experienced the “biggest decline in sentiment” for a governor running in this fall’s elections, the pollster says.