As GOP leaders mock Kansas governor, poll shows Laura Kelly's approval rating on the rise

New polling shows Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's approval rating is trending up during her second term at a time when she has had high-profile disagreements with the Republican-led Legislature.

Kelly now has a 62% approval rating, according to independent firm Morning Consult. Meanwhile, 30% disapprove and the remainder either don't know or have no opinion.

"She's now the second-most popular Democratic governor in the country, and the eighth-most popular governor of all governors," said Washburn University political science professor Bob Beatty.

Laura Kelly's approval ratings are trending up in her second term

With surveys conducted between January and March, the polling happened while the Legislature was in session with the results released days before the start of veto session. Kelly has vetoed several bills this year, which top Republicans have said is evidence that she's not middle of the road, a term that served as a campaign slogan for Kelly's 2022 reelection.

In a statement earlier this month on one set of vetoes, Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, said, "The governor has made it clear yet again that the radical left controls her veto pen."

Last week, House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, called it "political pettiness" when Kelly vetoed a bill on stiffer penalties for hurting or killing police dogs and horses. Hawkins also posted a "Wizard of Oz" meme on social media, with Kelly as the Wicked Witch of the West and saying "I'll get you, Law Enforcement, and your little dogs too!"

"I was very curious to see her poll numbers, given that ... the polling occurred during the legislative session, and given the arguments from some Republican leaders that that she's not middle of the road, that she's radical and that she is not, in some cases, they were saying she's not governing like she said she would in her reelection campaign," Beatty said. "So the poll numbers, I was curious to see what the people of Kansas think."

Polls show Kansans have viewed Kelly more favorably since her 2022 reelection. Her approval ratings have gone up in her second term, despite Kelly's frequent use of her veto powers. Last session, Kelly broke her own record for the most vetoes in three decades, and she could break it again this year.

Beatty said Kelly's approval rating "slowly inched up" during her first term, and now "she has been on an upward trend in her second term."

His records on gubernatorial polling show Kelly averaged 58% approval in 2023. That was up from 53% in 2022 polls, 52% in 2021 polls, 50% in 2020 and 50% in 2019 polling.

"The caveat is this is only one poll," Beatty said of the latest polling. "But the great thing is because it's Morning Consult, we can compare it to other Morning Consults, which have been polling for years for her and all governors."

More: Laura Kelly's approval ratings are up. Here's how GOP's 'woke' battle is helping her.

Kansas voters seem to like divided government

Beatty said the polling suggests that, at least when it comes to approval of governors, voters tend to like when state government power is divided between Republicans and Democrats instead of one-party control.

"A lot of people complain about divided government," he said, "but in terms of governors, governors that can actively reach out to not just their own base seem to be more popular than one-party states."

"It's very similar to when Kathleen Sebelius was governor, that Kansans seem to like having that check of the Democratic governor on a Republican Legislature," Beatty said.

Beatty said the polling suggests it's not just Kansans who like governors who are forced to work with the opposing political party. He pointed to Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear in Kentucky, who was the fourth-most popular.

"I think it's reflective of governors who have to actively court independent voters and even some voters from the other party," Beatty said.

Kelly has made frequent visits to areas outside Topeka.

"Laura Kelly, it's not just political, she's also earned a bit of this approval rating," Beatty said. "And what I mean by that is she is not just sitting in the governor's office, you know, watching television. I mean, she is out around the state quite a bit. ... Medicaid expansion tour, rural prosperity tours, she's quite active in reaching out across the state."

On the flip side, governors from unified political control tend to not be as popular.

"We saw it in Kansas when Sam Brownback was governor," Beatty said. "His average approval ratings over his years as governor was about 30%."

Likewise, in the new Morning Consult poll, Democratic Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has the lowest approval rating and is the only governor with a disapproval rating higher than their approval.

"A Democratic governor in a Democratic state with the lowest approval ratings," Beatty said.

Why the governor's high approval may matter in 2024 elections

Kelly has already foreshadowed that she will be active in legislative races with her Middle of the Road PAC funding Democrats and moderate Republicans who side with her on major issues. The last campaign finance report from January showed the PAC raised nearly $1 million in 2023.

But the sitting governor's endorsement could influence elections beyond money.

"When you're at 62% approval, obviously the majority are saying they approve of how you're governing," Beatty said. "But there's something beyond that, which is there's an election in November.

"Having high approval allows her to campaign — even though she's not running for election, to campaign for legislative candidates — in a way that a governor with low approval cannot. So a legislative candidate who's in the same party of a governor with low approval will say, 'Please stay away,' whereas Kelly will be able to campaign ... for candidates in August and in November because she's got the data to back her up that she can be an asset."

Jason Alatidd is a Statehouse reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jalatidd@gannett.com. Follow him on X @Jason_Alatidd.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly's popularity grows with higher approval rating