Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker is the country’s most popular governor for the 11th quarter in a row, according to a recent poll by Morning Consult.
The poll, which surveyed more than 5,000 registered U.S. voters on their governors, found 73 percent of Massachusetts respondents approve of Baker’s performance. Disapproval rate is 16 percent and 12 percent said they were unsure.
Baker took the top ranking despite being a Republican in a consistently Democratic state. However, his party affiliation does match the national trend of Republican governors being relatively more popular than their democratic counterparts, as the nation’s 10 most popular governors are all Republican, according to the poll.
In contrast, two of Massachusetts neighbors have governors that are remarkably unpopular with their constituents.
Rhode Island Governor and Democrat Gina Raimondo was ranked most unpopular in the nation, with a 56 percent disapproval rate, while Democratic Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut showed a 48 percent disapproval rate, making him America’s fifth most unpopular governor.
The poll was conducted from July 1 to Sept. 30, according to Morning Consult. However, Baker’s popularity may be impacted after he sparked controversy by enacting a statewide ban on the sale of all vaping products late September.
Jordan Berg Powers, executive director of Mass Alliance — a political advocacy organization that supports progressive policies — said he believes many Massachusetts voters continuously approve of Baker because of media bias.
Powers said that the media’s constant coverage of of Baker’s popularity may push residents to view the governor in a more favorable light, allowing Baker to defend his position as America’s most popular governor.
“In the absence of any sort of accountability from the media, or any sort of context, people are only left to hear that he’s the most popular,” Powers said.
Despite being a Republican, Baker has openly criticized the Trump administration, most notably speaking out against President Donald Trump’s Muslim ban and Republican efforts to repeal Obamacare. He has also spoken in favor of abortion rights and stricter gun control laws and has voiced his support for investigations into Trump’s dealings with Ukraine.
According to a 2017 WBUR survey of registered Massachusetts voters, 66 percent of Massachusetts Democrats said they viewed Baker favorably.
Back Bay resident Ed Ryan, 40, said he isn’t surprised Baker is popular, citing the governor’s moderate stances and even temper.
“I think he’s a very reasonable guy,” Ryan said. “He’s pretty centrist, practical, works well with the opposing party and doesn’t play nasty politics.”
Marty Childs, 65, of Back Bay said the ranking makes sense to her.
“I’m not surprised that Baker is that popular because he is a middle-of-the-road Republican,” she said. “Good governors have to deal with the federal government and try to get the resources that the state needs out of the feds.”
