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By Jordan King
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Vermont, Wyoming, and North Dakota have the three most popular governors in the United States, while Alaska, Iowa and Indiana have the most unpopular governors, according to a new poll.
The highest net approval ratings—the difference between approval and disapproval—went to Vermont's Phil Scott (55), Wyoming's Mark Gordon (43), and North Dakota's Kelly Armstrong (39), according to Morning Consult data published on Monday.
The governors with the lowest net approval ratings are Alaska’s Mike Dunleavy (-11), Iowa’s Kim Reynolds (-6) and Indiana’s Mike Braun (4).
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Newsweek reached out to all governors’ offices via email, online contact form, and voicemail, respectively, for comment.
Here’s a quick statement from Governor Gordon.
Governor Gordon told Newsweek: “It’s nice to hear and I appreciate the honor but the only opinion poll I am concerned with is from the voters of Wyoming. I remain focused on solving issues like growing our core industries, ensuring citizens can access affordable healthcare and standing up for the Wyoming’s Western values. Ride for the brand!”
Why It Matters
Governor approval ratings offer one of the clearest, most consistent indicators of how voters feel about the politicians closest to day-to-day governance and in a midterm year, that matters in two distinct ways: down-ballot performance in 2026, when there are 36 gubernatorial offices on the ballot, and who enters the conversation for the next presidential cycle.
What To Know
The top five most popular state governors, according to Morning Consult, are:
- Phil Scott, R-VT
- Mark Gordon, R-WY
- Kelly Armstrong R-ND
- Andy Beshear, D-KY
- Josh Shapiro, D-PA
The five least popular state governors, according to Morning Consult, are:
- Mike Dunleavy, R-AK
- Kim Reynolds, R-IA
- Mike Braun, R-IN
- Jim Pillen, R-NE
- Kevin Stitt, R-OK
California Governor Gavin Newsom, considered a possible 2028 presidential candidate, had a net approval rating of 26, with 60 percent approving and 34 percent disapproving.
Morning Consult’s data is based on a roll-up of daily tracking surveys among registered voters over the last three months, up until December. Margins of error among registered voters vary by state, from +/- 6 percentage points in Wyoming to +/- 1 percentage point in California.
There are 36 gubernatorial elections in 2026—split evenly between the parties with 18 seats each—covering states from California and Texas to Pennsylvania and Georgia, according to Ballotpedia.
Fifteen incumbent governors (six Democrats and nine Republicans) are term-limited in 2026, creating a significant number of open-seat contests where approval dynamics and party brands may loom larger than incumbency.
What Happens Next
As filing deadlines and primaries approach across states from March through September, approval trajectories may influence candidate decisions and party investments in open seats and competitive states.
Update 02/04/26, 3:00 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from Governor Gordon.
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