Mitch McConnell is the only U.S. Senator with a Negative Approval Rating

Sunday, December 06, 2015
Mitch McConnell (photo: Cliff Owen, AP)

If most U.S. senators aren’t beloved, at least their constituents generally approve of the jobs they’re doing. But one senator—who happens to be the most powerful of them all—gets far more thumbs-down than thumbs-up from those in his state.

 

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) has a 52% disapproval rating, according to polling data published in Morning Consult. He’s the only senator with a disapproval rating over 50%; the next senators on the list, with 41% disapproval ratings, are Republicans Pat Roberts of Kansas and John McCain of Arizona.

 

Nor does McConnell have many who approve of the job he’s doing. At 38%, he barely edges out Democrats Bob Menendez of New Jersey, who’s under indictment, and Gary Peters of Michigan, each at 37% approval.

 

The senator who’s doing the best job, according to his constituents, is Vermont independent Bernie Sanders, who’s running for the Democratic nomination for president. His approval rating is 83%, while his disapproval rating is only 13%.

 

Congress as a whole, however, is almost universally unpopular. According to an average of polls published by RealClearPolitics, the legislature as a whole has a 77% disapproval rating and an approval rating of only 13%. Still, the disapproval rating is off the recent high of 85% registered in November 2013, right after Republicans in Congress forced a shutdown of the federal government, closing parks and stopping many vital services, as well as leaving thousands without paychecks.

-Steve Straehley

 

To Learn More:

Bernie Sanders is the Most Popular Senator in America (by Reid Wilson, Morning Consult)

Congressional Job Approval (RealClearPolitics)

72% of Americans Disapprove of Republican Party…but it’s Set to Take Control of Both Houses of Congress Anyway (by Noel Brinkerhoff and David Wallechinsky, AllGov)

Most Americans Are Frustrated with Government; Approval of Congress Hits Bottom (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)

Congress Less Popular than Cockroaches, Root Canals and Used Car Salesmen (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)

Comments

Hearther 8 years ago
I actually think this stat is mirtnpreseesed .. if the approvals were this low why is it over 90% of all congressmen reelected. If you asked me if I was happy with Congress I would say no .. but because they have not passed a budget in over 5 years which I blame the Senate and Harry Reid for.I think this is a dodge by administrations since it is easy to demagog a faceless group of individuals, were most people do not know the names of their representatives.
Mark 8 years ago
Why doesn't any news outlet look into his drug boat? Family owned ship caught with 90lbs of coke and nobody does a follow up or confronts this huy a la 60minutes style... What gives?

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