Do New Englanders approve of their governors? Here’s how they’re faring as 2025 begins. – The Boston Globe

If Tuesday’s State of the State address was effectively Governor Dan McKee’s kickoff to his reelection campaign, he now has a better idea of where he stands with the voters as he begins the nearly two-year marathon to the Democratic primary.

A new survey from Morning Consult shows that McKee finished 2024 with a 44 percent approval rating and a 40 percent disapproval rating, which makes him the least-popular governor in New England but still largely contradicts much of the conventional wisdom in Rhode Island politics that he is a sitting duck in 2026.

Morning Consult conducts online surveys on the approval ratings of governors every three months. McKee’s 44 percent approval rating in the fourth quarter of 2024 is similar to previous quarters, although he was above 50 percent approval in the second and third quarters of 2023.

Here’s a breakdown of approval ratings for New England governors for the fourth quarter of 2024.

Vermont Governor Phil Scott (R)

75 percent approve / 18 percent disapprove

New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu (R)

65 percent approve / 29 percent disapprove

(Sununu did not seek reelection, and Governor Kelly Ayotte was sworn in this month.)

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont (D)

63 percent approve / 30 percent disapprove

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey (D)

60 percent approve / 29 percent disapprove

Maine Governor Janet Mills (D)

54 percent approve / 39 percent disapprove

Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee (D)

44 percent approve / 40 percent disapprove

The bigger picture: McKee would obviously much rather be in the position of any of his counterparts in New England, but he continues to see a path to reelection.

No one is basing their political future on polling from Morning Consult, but this is one of those classic cases where anyone interested in being Rhode Island governor can find a silver lining.

⚓ If you’re McKee, it’s “See, I’m not in as bad shape as the local media wants to believe.”

⚓ If you’re likely Democratic rival Helena Foulkes, it’s “McKee is trending in the wrong direction, and I haven’t spent a dime to remind voters of any of his mistakes.”

⚓ If you’re House Speaker Joe Shekarchi, it’s “Let’s see where McKee is in nine months.”

This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you’d like to receive it via e-mail Monday through Friday, you can sign up here.

Dan McGowan can be reached at dan.mcgowan@globe.com. Follow him @danmcgowan.