Least popular US governor — Tate Reeves — is more popular than Biden

by Sarah Fortinsky - 11/27/23 7:12 PM ET

Republican Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves leads his family to the podium to address supporters in Jackson, Miss., after winning the party primary Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023. Reeves defeated two challengers for the party nomination. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

The least popular American governor, Republican Tate Reeves of Mississippi, is more popular than President Biden, according to a recent Morning Consult poll.

The latest Morning Consult poll, updated Monday, had Biden’s approval rating at 38 percent and his disapproval rating at 55 percent.

According to the FiveThirtyEight’s average of all polls, Biden’s approval rating sat at 39.1 percent, with 54.7 percent disapproving.

Reeves’s approval rating sat at 45 percent, according to the Morning Consult poll, with 46 percent disapproving.

Presidents overall rarely enjoy the same high approval ratings that governors do, but Biden’s poll performance in recent months has been poor by most standards.

In the recent Morning Consult poll, every governor had an approval rating at 45 percent or higher. Reeves was the only governor whose disapproval was higher than his approval.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’s (R) approval and disapproval ratings both sat at 48 percent.

The vast majority of governors’ approval ratings are in the 50s range.

Seven governors have approval ratings below 50 percent: Reeves, Reynolds, Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek of Oregon (46 percent approve, 41 percent disapprove); Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards of Louisiana (48 percent approve, 44 percent disapprove); Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs of Arizona (48 percent approve, 40 percent disapprove); Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington (49 percent approve, 46 percent disapprove); and Democratic Gov. Dan McKee of Rhode Island (49 percent approve, 39 percent disapprove).

Ten governors had approval ratings above 50 percent, including the three most-popular governors: Republican Gov. Phil Scott of Vermont (84 percent approve, 13 percent disapprove); Republican Gov. Mark Gordon of Wyoming (74 percent approve, 16 percent disapprove); and Democratic Gov. Josh Green of Hawaii (66 percent approve, 25 percent disapprove).