Residents in 44 states are unsatisfied with governors' response to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a recent survey.
The research was conducted by Harvard, Rutgers, Northwestern, and Northeastern universities.
"In general, governors that have sought to reopen have been out in front of their citizens," Matthew Baum, co-author of the study, wrote. "They've moved faster than the public was comfortable moving. The governors who are doing really well are the ones that have acted most proactively."
Republican governors made up 14 of the 15 lowest-ranked states. Conversely, Republican South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem got a bump in support after pushing back against placing her state in a restrictive coronavirus lockdown. Noem said Wednesday children in South Dakota will return to school this fall, saying distance learning is "not effective."
More than 70% of residents in Maryland, New York, and Vermont approve of how their governors have performed during the crisis. Residents said Vermont Gov. Phil Scott, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo acted "proactively" to curb the spread of coronavirus.
The states with residents that have the highest approval ratings for the governors were divided along party lines. Three Republican and three Democrats are the top six governors.
The COVID-19 Consortium for Understanding the Public's Policy Preferences Across States conducted the survey, which has a 1% plus or minus margin of error.
Another poll also showed waning support among various state residents for GOP governors since the surge of coronavirus.
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