John Kasich ranks 20th most popular governor in U.S., poll says

7 in 10 New Jersey voters don’t like Chris Christie

When it comes to a ranking of America’s most and least popular governors, Republican John Kasich is smack dab in the middle with a 57 percent job approval rating, according to a new poll of registered voters from Morning Consult.

The poll found that 30 percent of Ohio voters disapprove of the job Kasich is doing while 13 percent had no opinion. Overall, Kasich landed in the 20th most popular slot.

Kasich, who ran for the GOP nomination for president in 2016, is in the home stretch of his second term as governor and cannot run for a third term. He has been an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump and efforts to repeal Obamacare, which includes an expanded Medicaid program that covers an additional 725,000 Ohioans.

Kasich will not be attending the Ohio GOP state dinner this weekend where Vice President Mike Pence is slated to be the keynote speaker.

Morning Consult polled 195,704 registered voters between April 1 and July 10 for the ranking.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican who made national headlines for lounging on a public beach closed during a budget crisis to everyone but the Christie family, anchors the 50-governor list with a 69 percent disapproval rating.

Not far behind Christie are Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback, a Republican, with a 66 percent disapproval rating and Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy, a Democrat, with a 64 percent disapproval rating. Kansas Republican lawmakers rejected Brownback’s steep tax cuts approach to governing and economic growth earlier this year.

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The most popular governors in America are Republicans Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, Larry Hogan of Maryland and Matt Mead of Wyoming. More than two-thirds of voters in their states like the job they’re doing.

Republicans control 33 of 50 governorships.

Morning Consult’s popularity poll of U.S. Senators released in April showed Republican Rob Portman with a 53 percent approval rating and Democrat Sherrod Brown with a 52 percent rating.

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