The Most Popular Democratic Governors in America

Politics

Published: July 5, 2024 8:50 am

For most of the last two decades, Americans have been more likely to self-identify as Democrats than as Republicans. More recently, however, the Democratic Party’s base has been eroding. According to the Associated Press, the GOP gained over 1 million voters during the first year of Joe Biden’s presidency. Now, according to Gallup survey data, only 23% of Americans identify as Democrats, the smallest share in at least 20 years.

Shifting political loyalties are likely, in part, a reflection of dissatisfaction with the Biden administration. With a job approval rating of just 38%, Biden is one of the least popular presidents in over half a century. (These are the states where the most people regret voting for Biden.)

Public opinion of the president, however, does not appear to have had a meaningful impact on Democrats in executive positions at the state level. Currently, 23 of the 50 state governors are Democrats, and all of them have a higher job approval rating than the president.

Using survey data from Morning Consult, a public opinion research company, 24/7 Wall St. identified America’s most and least popular Democratic governors. We ranked all 23 Democratic governors by their net-approval rating — the share of voters in the state who approve of their administration, less the share who disapprove. Survey data used to create this ranking was collected between Jan. 1, 2024 and April 1, 2024. Supplemental data on governor salaries came from The Council of State Governments and annual unemployment rates are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Among the governors on this list, approval ratings range from 43.5% to 65.1%. Notably, three of these states — Kansas, Kentucky, and North Carolina — went to Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential race. Despite voting Republican in national elections, residents of these states are generally happy with their Democratic governors, as each have an approval rating of more than 50% — including two who rank among the most popular governors in the country.

The political matters that shape public opinion of state governors can vary over time. The economy, however, consistently ranks among the most important issues to American voters — and, by some key measures, many states led by popular Democratic governors have relatively healthy economies. For example, eight of the 10 highest ranking governors on this list hold office in states where the 2023 unemployment rate is in line with, or lower than, the 3.6% national jobless rate. (Here is a look at the most important issues to voters in the 2024 election.)

Why It Matters

The share of Americans who identify as Democrats hit a multi-decade low in June 2024. Waning party membership is attributable, in part, to negative perceptions of President Biden’s job performance. But even though Biden is a historically unpopular president, many of his fellow Democrats serving as state governors remain in good standing with their constituents. Governors, like virtually all elected officials, are subject to constant public scrutiny, and for those who are not facing a term limit, their job security hinges largely on voters’ perceptions of their leadership.