Gov. Bill Walker is the least popular governor running for re-election in the nation, according to a new poll conducted by Morning Consult.
- Walker’s net approval is -26 percent.
- Walker posted the largest net slide in approval of any governor in the fourth quarter. His approval fell 19 points compared to the previous quarter.
- Walker is the 6th least popular governor overall.
- Fifty-five percent of registered voters in Alaska disapproved of his work in office
- Twenty-nine percent of registered voters in Alaska approved.
A LONG HONEYMOON, THEN ABRUPT SLIDE
The early days of the Walker campaign showed a strong resilience, even as the bad news piled on: He proposed taxes, he bashed and trashed oil companies, he fixated on a gasline, took half of Alaskans’ Permanent Fund dividends, and ignored rising crime. It wasn’t until July of 2017, when voters starting catching on.
Here’s the history:
May – November, 2015
- Approve 64, Disapprove 21
- Spread +43
January – May, 2016
- Approve 62, Disapprove 21
- Spread +41
May – September, 2016
- Approve 50, Disapprove 41
- Spread +9
January – March, 2017
- Approve 43, Disapprove 53
- Spread -10
April – July, 2017
- Approve 42, Disapprove 48
- Spread -6
July – September, 2017
- Approve 40, Disapprove 47
- Spread -7
October – December, 2017
- Approve 29, Disapprove 55
- Spread -26
[Read the Morning Consult report here.]
Must Read Alaska asked gubernatorial candidates to comment on the poll results.
Scott Hawkins: It surprises me not one bit that Walker’s approval ratings have plummeted to among the nation’s lowest. He earned those low ratings by turning the dividend program into a political football and putting forward nonstop tax proposals, rather than get serious about cutting the state’s huge operating budget. This year he introduced an operating budget several hundred million dollars higher than last year. To say that is politically “tone deaf” is an understatement. Alaskans are beginning to see that Gov. Walker is leading this state in exactly the wrong direction.”
Mike Dunleavy: “Everyone in Alaska knows who the governor is, and everyone knows what Gov. Walker has done. That’s why his ratings are so low. The people of Alaska are not confused about him. They know he is a totally different guy than the one who campaigned for governor.”
Mike Chenault: Those poll results are not surprising. The governor has ignored or simply forgot his many campaign promises from four years ago and instead has tried to implement a tax and spend agenda, one that I and many Alaskans don’t support. The governor lacks in leadership skills and does not know how to engage not only the Legislature, but the public in trying to promote his goals and plans. Having just a business perspective and background and very little or no other political experience failed in the Sheffield era and is failing in Walker’s administration.
Lets see what you have, I was backing Huggins.
The biggest shock here is who is that 29%
I’m with you!
Why would anyone support this guy except for political ideology? Leadership in Alaska is a total mess. We should be on a roll but instead our finances are in disarray and our bond ratings are in the toilet at the same time that per capital we are the richest state in the union. We have little debt, 66 billion in our Permanent Fund, 30 billion in our pension fund and another 10 billion or so in various other accounts. We have a crime ridden state with villages that make third world conditions look good. We have so many resources with no roads to get there.
While poll results can be unreliable at times for various reasons, the accuracy of this would not surprise me. As someone who worked on Governor Walker’s campaign, I am extremely disappointed with how disrespectful he has treated me and those that I care about after he was elected. He has not been a man of his word. Alaska deserves a true leader, and someone who genuinely cares about fixing the corruption in this State. I will certainly be supporting a new candidate for the Office of Governor in Alaska.
Not a good idea to elect a governor who disliked the oil companies, that provide most of the revenue for his out of control budget!!!
A Republican, a Independent and a Democrat walk into a bar and the bartender says,”……………….”
” Morning Gov.”
“Those that say we haven’t done enough — I’m pushing back on that. I’m very offended by that. That’s unjustified and it’s an insult — not to me — it’s an insult to my staff. Our directors, our cabinet members, that have given up, you know, a lot of their personal time to travel this great state to do that.”
Makes it sound like they donated their time for free.
I just about fell out of my chair LAUGHING, -26%. “I RAN TO DO THE JOB” 🙂
Voted for a sheep in wolves clothing. What a disappointment.
Ask all the folks running for Governor. Give them all equal exposure. Where are Sheldon/Wright?
The article forgot to mention how he indebted the state to Medicaid expansion almost as soon as he was elected.
Anyone who dumps his running mate to take on a new one from the left is OBVIOUSLY not a trustworthy person. I was never fooled for a minute by this charlatan.
Don’t forget about Michael Sheldon who is the only Candidate with a solid plan to glideslope down spending putting 1Billion per year back into the CBR. It is a mere 10 %of the budget going towards future reserves. Creating competition in savings through out all Alaska during the critical third quarter for focused spending in the Fourth…
October is when we went to AFN and the people began to wake up to a real Sheldon restoring their PFD. We must protect this Traditional formula for all Alaska.
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