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Ron DeSantis is one of the most unpopular governors in the country as he records a disapproval rating in the Sunshine State above nearly all others, according to a poll.

Morning Consult released its quarterly U.S. Senator and Governor Approval Ratings report on Tuesday, showing that 45 percent of people in Florida disapprove of the job DeSantis is doing as governor, with 51 percent approving.

The rating places DeSantis second in terms of highest disapproval ratings, with Iowa’s Republican Governor Kim Reynolds in first place at 47 percent (49 approve) and Mississippi’s Republican Governor Tate Reeves in third at 44 percent (46 approve).

Newsweek reached out to DeSantis’ office via email for comment.

DeSantis is currently running for president but is trailing former president Donald Trump in the GOP primary polls. While his net approval rating is still positive, the Morning Consult survey may be a blow to the Florida governor, who is usually considered a popular Republican figure in the state. He cruised to re-election in November 2022, beating his Democratic challenger, Charlie Christ, by nearly 20 points.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks during a campaign event in Tampa on October 5, 2023. A poll has found that DeSantis has one of the highest governor disapproval ratings in the country.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The results also suggest that DeSantis is losing his support in Florida. The previous Governor Approval Ratings report in July showed that DeSantis had a 54 percent approval rating, three points higher than the new survey, with a 42 percent disapproval rating, three percent lower than his latest figures.

In 2019, a Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce survey found that 64 percent of Florida voters approved of the job DeSantis is doing as governor, compared to just 24 percent who disapprove.

According to the latest Morning Consult poll, Reynolds also saw her disapproval ratings in Iowa rise from 39 percent in the last quarter to 47 percent rise partially because of ties with DeSantis.

“Her unpopularity increased partly because of a surge in negative sentiment among independent and Republican voters during a year in which she signed a strict anti-abortion law and took a lashing from former President Donald Trump over her apparent closeness with Gov. Ron DeSantis,” a summary of the polls states.

In September, DeSantis appeared in Iowa, which will hold the first-in-the-nation caucus in January 2024, as part of his presidential campaign to watch the football game between the University of Iowa and Iowa State University. DeSantis sat in the stands alongside Reynolds and also met fans with her outside the stadium.

Elsewhere, the Morning Consult survey showed that Vermont Republican Phill Scott is the most popular governor in the U.S., with an 83 percent approval rating. Wyoming governor Mark Gordan, a Republican, is second with 73 percent approval, with GOP governor Chris Sununu of New Hampshire in third at 67 percent.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green is in fourth place overall and the most popular Democratic governor, with a 66 percent approval rating.

The results also reveal that Republican Wyoming Senator John Barrasso is the country’s most popular senator, with a 70 approval rating, followed by Democratic Senator Brian Schatz, who has a 65 percent approval rating in Hawaii.