Poll: Gov. Kay Ivey has lowest disapproval of any governor in country

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New Gov. Kay Ivey has the fifth-highest approval rating and the lowest disapproval rating among all governors in the country, according to a new poll released by Morning Consult.

“Kay Ivey, who replaced former Gov. Robert Bentley in early April, is off to a strong start in the Yellowhammer State, joining the ranks of the most popular governors in the country during her opening months in office,” Cameron Easley wrote.

The poll found nearly two-thirds of Alabamians approved of the job the former lieutenant governor has done over the past few months, while only 13 percent disapproved.

The rating makes Ivey the second most favored new governor behind only North Dakota Republican Gov. Doug Burgum, who has a 66 percent approval rating.

By comparison, 44 percent of voters polled in a previous edition of the rankings approved of Bentley while 48 percent disapproved, giving him a net negative rating among Yellowhammer State voters.

The poll points to Ivey’s call for a special election for the Senate seat vacated by Jeff Sessions, her ban on lobbyists receiving executive appointments, and her elimination of 18 government task forces as decisions that moved the needle for Alabama voters.

The Morning Consult poll collected responses from 195,704 registered voters nationwide between April 1 and July 10.

The data covering senators, released last week, found 53 percent of Alabama voters approved and 29 percent disapproved of Sen. Richard Shelby, while 44 percent approved and 30 percent disapproved of Sen. Luther Strange.