Gov. Abbott’s COVID-19 Approval Rating Almost Worst in Nation

In comparison to his counterparts in other states, Gov. Greg Abbott is getting poor marks for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

According to a new Washington Post-Ipsos Poll, Abbott ranks 11th out of 12 among the nation’s large-state governors. The poll found the governor’s approval rating is 57%. Only Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp ranks lower. He has a 39% approval rating. 

Abbott and Kemp were the first governors to move forward with plans to reopen their states’ economies. 

The poll results indicate that a majority of Texans disagree with Abbott’s race to reopen Texas, with 60% of respondents saying the governor was moving too quickly to remove his stay-home order and other restrictions. A super majority of 74% want continued efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus, even if it means keeping businesses closed.

In comparison, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (N.Y.) received positive marks from about 8 in 10 adults. Overall, the average approval rating for the 12 governors was 71%.

Abbott’s ranking appears to be driven more so by Democrats than Republicans. Eight in 10 Republicans say they approve of his performance, but fewer than 4 in 10 Democrats feel the same way.

The survey was conducted between April 27 and May 4. There is an overall margin of error of plus or minus 1 percent, with a margin of error of 3.5 to 7.5 percentage points for findings by state due to smaller sample sizes.