What They Are Saying: Rhode Island Dem Gov Gina Raimondo’s Falling Poll Numbers Stoke Fears For Her Re-Election Bid

After a new Morning Consult poll was released yesterday showing Rhode Island Democrat governor Gina Raimondo to be the most unpopular and most vulnerable Democrat governor in the country on the ballot in 2018, Rhode Island’s press corps has been buzzing about her “difficult” path to re-election. With Raimondo’s approval rating decreasing since April despite almost half-a-million in early ad spending on her behalf by the Democratic Governors Association during that time, Raimondo’s struggling re-elect campaign has even more reasons to be worried.  

Here are some highlights of recent coverage:

Rhode Island Public Radio highlighted that Raimondo’s approval rating has now fallen below her disapproval rating in the new poll:

“Governor Gina Raimondo’s approval rating stands at 43 percent — four points less than her 47 percent disapproval rating, according to the latest survey of the nation’s governors by the Washington, D.C., firm Morning Consult.

Raimondo rates ‘among the most unpopular governors,’ indicating a ‘difficult’ path to re-election next year, according to Morning Consult’s Cameron Easley.”

WPRI-TV reported that Raimondo’s approval rating was down “again” from the previous survey done by Morning Consult in April:

“Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo’s approval rating is down again as she looks ahead to her 2018 re-election race, according to a poll released Tuesday.

The survey of 718 Rhode Island registered voters by the website Morning Consult found 43% approved of the job Raimondo is doing, while 47% disapproved. Previous Morning Consult polls put her approval rating at 48% in April and 38% in September 2016. 

The website said Raimondo was among ‘the most unpopular governors’ who are ‘facing difficult paths to re-election next year.’”

In its coverage, ABC Providence emphasized that Raimondo is among the “least popular” governors in the country according to the poll:

In response, Raimondo claimed “she doesn’t know why she struggles to top 50% approval,” with the state’s stagnant economy, paralyzed legislature, and three bottom ten business rankings this year apparently not crossing her mind:

The Providence Journal noted the contrast between Raimondo’s low approval rating compared to that of Republican Governor Charlie Baker in neighboring Massachusetts, who was revealed by the poll to be America’s most popular governor:

“…a new poll suggests she may have a “difficult” time winning reelection in Rhode Island.

Her job approval rating stands at 43 percent, and her disapproval rating at 47 percent, according to the findings of a rolling survey that Morning Consult conducted between April 1 and July 10.

Charlie Baker, the Republican governor of Massachusetts, remains the most popular governor in the United States, with a 71 percent approval rating according to the new poll…”

GoLocalProv wrote that Raimondo’s numbers made her the second least-popular governor in New England, with Connecticut’s Dan Malloy, the region’s other Democrat governor, as the only less popular figure on the Morning Consult’s list:

“Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo has an approval rating of 43% in the latest ranking released Tuesday by Morning Consult.

The list of ‘Most and Least Popular Governors’ saw Massachusetts’ Charlie Baker take the top spot for approval nationwide at 71% — and Raimondo come in fifth in New England, with struggling Connecticut’s Dan Molloy at 27%, who Morning Consult noted ‘remains the most unpopular Democratic governor in the country.’”