New PPP polls in Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and California over the last week have shown a big contrast in how voters are reacting to Donald Trump and Democratic Governors’ handling of the coronavirus.
In our new Michigan poll, conducted for our friends at Progress Michigan and their Lake Effect state survey, ‘That Woman from Michigan,’ as the President has referred to Governor Gretchen Whitmer, has a net approval 37 points better than his on handling the virus. 62% approve of the job she’s doing to just 28% who disapprove. Meanwhile he’s upside down, with 46% approving of the job he’s doing to 49% who disapprove.
In Pennsylvania only 46% of voters approve of how Trump has handled the virus to 49% who disapprove. By contrast Governor Tom Wolf gets a 62% approval rating for his handling of the virus, to only 20% who disapprove.
It’s a similar story in North Carolina. Voters are closely divided on Trump’s handling of the virus, with 49% approving and 45% disapproving. Meanwhile they give overwhelmingly positive reviews to Governor Roy Cooper, with 63% approving and just 19% disapproving of his handling of the virus.
Any boost Trump might have temporarily received in his overall approval numbers seems to be wearing off in these three critical swing states as well. Trump won Pennsylvania, Michigan, and North Carolina in 2016 but even during the middle of a crisis he’s under water in all of them- his approval spreads in them are 45/51, 45/49, and 47/48 respectively.
The North Carolina poll also found bad news for Richard Burr and Thom Tillis. 50% of voters in the state think Burr should resign to only 24% who think he should remain in office in wake of revelations about his stock sales. Burr’s had a net 28 point drop in his approval rating since last summer from -4 then at 32/36 to -32 now at 22/54.
Thom Tillis isn’t a whole lot more popular. Only 24% approve of the job he’s doing to 48% who disapprove as he heads into a tough reelection challenge from Cal Cunningham. Meanwhile in Michigan Gary Peters leads John James 45-38 for reelection.
Finally, in a California poll we did for our friends at Strother Nuckels Strategies, Governor Gavin Newsom receives an 83% approval rating for his handling of the virus. And Joe Biden leads Donald Trump 67-29 in the state.
