(The Center Square) – Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ overall approval rating has increased 5 percentage points since March, according to a June Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll.
The approval rating in the Selzer & Co. June 13-16 poll rose from 46 percent to 51 percent among 807 Iowan adults, with 44 percent expressing disapproval and 5 percent stating they were unsure.
“It is no surprise that Governor Reynolds continues to have the support of Iowans,” Senate President Jake Chapman, R-Adel, told The Center Square in a texted statement. “She has been a tenacious fighter for Iowans, for economic prosperity, standing up for our law enforcement, getting our kids back to school, and has affirmed to me what it means to lead this great state. Iowans couldn’t be prouder of her leadership during good times and tough times. Leadership matters, and that’s why Iowans continue to support Governor Kim Reynolds.”
The margin of error in the survey is 3.5 percentage points among all poll respondents and 3.9 percentage points among the 630 participants who are likely voters. Forty-six percent of likely Iowa voters said they would vote to reelect Reynolds rather than responding “it’s time for someone else to hold office” if the election were held today, while 51 percent sided with electing another person as governor and 3 percent were unsure.
Among likely voters, men were more in favor of Reynolds (56 percent approving) continuing as governor than women (35 percent approving).
Poll respondents, especially Republicans (79 percent), rated Reynolds highest on her handling of the economy (55 percent approving). Thirty percent of Democrats and 53 percent of independents approved of Reynolds in this category. Reynolds’ lowest ratings related to her handling of schools and education, with 48 percent approving (including 81 percent of Republicans and 19 percent of Democrats), 44 percent disapproving, and 8 percent remarking they are unsure. Approval ratings on criminal justice were 49 percent, with 34 percent disapproving and 17 percent unsure.
In March, the breakdown on Reynolds’ overall work in office was 46 percent approval, 47 percent disapproval, and 7 percent unsure, The Des Moines Register reported.
The same poll saw President Joe Biden’s approval ratings drop 3 percentage points since March, from 47 percent to 43 percent. Eighty-nine percent of Democrats who responded approved of Biden’s work in office, while only 6 percent of Republicans and 43 percent of independents said they approved.
Biden’s highest approval ratings are on his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic (94 percent approval from Democrats and 20 percent approval from Republicans), but those numbers dropped from 57 percent in March to 53 percent in June. His lowest ratings are in immigration policy (29 percent approval, 63 percent disapproval).
Poll results came from telephone interviews in English with randomly selected Iowan adults, with responses adjusted based on age, sex, and congressional district to mirror the general population.
