Sarah Huckabee Sanders loses her shine in Arkansas

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Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders — a Republican famous nationwide for her time as former President Donald Trump’s press secretary — remains popular with most voters in her state. But her star has faded faster than any of the other governors newly elected in 2022.

Meanwhile, another new governor elected in 2022, Hawaii Democrat Josh Green, is among the most popular nationwide, while Oregon Democrat Tina Kotek again ranks among the country’s most unpopular.

Sanders’ standing in Arkansas

According to surveys conducted in the first quarter of 2024, 56% of Arkansas voters approve of Sanders’ job performance, compared with 35% who disapprove. Over the past year, it marks a 13-point decline in her net approval rating, which measures the share who approve minus the share who disapprove, with little change in awareness about her given her national prominence as she’s weathered a lectern scandal and ethical questions about her travel.

Sanders’ decline was most pronounced among independent voters in her state, among whom her approval rating dropped from 50% to 41% between the past two quarters — part of a 14-point net decline since taking office last year. 

While she has predictably lost support among some Democrats, the pain was also felt among Republican voters: Over the course of her term, her approval rating among the GOP base has dropped from 87% to 81%, while her disapproval rating has doubled, from 6% to 12%. 

To be sure, Sanders remains popular with Arkansas Republicans — and stands near the middle of the pack of the other governors with whom she was elected in 2022.

Sanders has the same approval rating as Govs. Joe Lombardo (R-Nev.) or Josh Shapiro (D-Pa.), though both officials have improved their approval ratings in their states since the first quarter of their terms even as awareness also increased their disapproval ratings at home.

America’s most popular and unpopular governors

Only one freshman governor is among America’s most popular this quarter, with Green of Hawaii boasting at 61% approval rating at home in the Aloha State. He makes the list for the fifth time in a row, joined by red-state Democrats Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Laura Kelly of Kansas and blue-state Republican Govs. Phil Scott of Vermont and Chris Sununu of New Hampshire. 

Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-Iowa) has the distinction of being America’s most unpopular governor, with a 47% disapproval rating, though only one governor faces more loathing than love at home. In Oregon, 45% of voters disapprove of Kotek, their Democratic governor, while 43% approve. It marks a 5-point decline in her net approval rating over the past year as more voters in her state have formed opinions about her.

The bottom line

Some increase in disapproval is natural for new governors as more voters in their states become aware of them, but Sanders is alone among those newly elected in 2022 in actually losing support as more voters express opinions. At least in the reliably red state of Arkansas, Sanders can boast her status among the Republican base — and even voters who backed Trump in 2020, according to our underlying data available for download for the first time this quarter.

Separately, for the three governors facing voters this fall — Spencer Cox of Utah, Greg Gianforte of Montana and Vermont’s Scott — our latest governor approval report shows no signs of concern, with both Republicans maintaining support from voters in their states and facing little dissent.