Baker Named Most Popular Governor Despite Not Running Again: Survey

BOSTON — Even though he's not seeking reelection in November this year, Gov. Charlie Baker is the nation's more popular governor, according to a new survey.

Morning Consult, a global enterprise technology company, issued a survey finding that Baker holds the highest approval rating in the country at 74 percent. His disapproval rating is at 21 percent, which is the lowest disapproval rating of any current governor across the U.S.

The lawyer, from Swampscott, has been favored by voters for years, holding the title of "Most-liked governor in the United States" several times after first taking office in 2015. By 2020, he was still the third most popular in the country.

Gov. Baker had to implement difficult decisions throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying in December he wouldn't be running again so his administration can keep focusing on larger issues across the state instead of wasting energy on a campaign.

He also scoffed at the suggestion that a potential Republican primary challenge from one or more candidates running with the support of former President Donald Trump factored at all into his decision not to seek a third term.

"That work cannot and should not be about politics and the next election," Baker said in December. "If we were to run, it would be a distraction that would potentially get in the way of many of the things we should be working on for everyone in Massachusetts. We want to focus on recovery, not on the grudge matches political campaigns can devolve into."

The survey found that Baker is followed by two other Republican governors who lead otherwise reliably blue states — Gov. Phil Scott of Vermont with 72 percent approval and Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland with 71 percent approval.

No Democratic governor scored within the top 10. Kentucky's Democratic governor Andy Beshear was the leading democrat, coming in 12th place overall with a 59 percent favor, the survey shows.

New Hampshire's Gov. Chris Sununu placed sixth overall with a 63 percent approval rating, and Rhode Island's Gov. Dan McKee was voted the nation's third-least popular governor with a 42 percent approval rating and a 40 percent disapproval rating, according to Morning Consult.