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Governor Dan McKee and President Donald Trump don’t agree on very much, but they do have at least one thing in common: their job approval ratings in Rhode Island.
A new poll from Morning Consult shows that 43 percent of Rhode Islanders approved of the job McKee is doing as governor and Trump is doing as president during the first quarter of 2025, but their disapproval ratings are far apart.
McKee’s disapproval rating in Rhode Island was 41 percent, while Trump’s was 54 percent, according to the survey.
Morning Consult conducts state-by-state online surveys on the approval ratings of governors, US Senators, and presidents every three months. US Senator Jack Reed’s job approval was 53 percent, and his disapproval was 28 percent. US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse’s approval was 51 percent, and his disapproval was 32 percent.
The bigger picture: McKee, who kicked off his reelection campaign last month, has remained remarkably consistent in Morning Consult’s polls, but his numbers haven’t looked as good elsewhere. An online YouGov poll released by Neighbors Welcome! RI last month pegged McKee at 36 percent approval, 51 percent disapproval.
Morning Consult’s poll has McKee tied for the fourth-highest disapproval rating in the US, behind only Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds (44 percent approval/49 percent disapproval), Maine Governor Janet Mills (51 percent approval/44 percent disapproval), and Texas Governor Greg Abbott (51 percent approval/42 percent disapproval).
There are still 16 percent of voters who say they don’t have an opinion on McKee.
McKee knows he has a narrow path to reelection next year as he prepares for a Democratic primary rematch against former CVS executive Helena Foulkes, but he doesn’t view the polling as alarming enough to reconsider running for another four-year term.
Some in the chattering class – especially those in House Speaker Joe Shekarchi’s camp – still think (or hope) there’s a chance McKee will bow out between now and next June, although it’s going to take more than Morning Consult’s polling to make that happen.
🤔 So you think you're a Rhode Islander...
Rory McIlroywon the Masters on Sunday to finally capture the career Grand Slam of major championships. Which Rhode Island company had its logo on his bag? (You can find the answer below.)
Do you have the perfect question for Rhode Map readers? Don't forget to send the answer, too. Shoot me an email today.
The Globe in Rhode Island
⚓ Hasbro has once again pushed back its timeline on announcing whether it would relocate its headquarters out of Rhode Island and into the Boston area, citing ongoing tariff wars. Read more.
⚓ The Rhode Island Supreme Court has ruled a New York-based congregation can evict Congregation Jeshuat Israel from the nation’s oldest synagogue, Touro Synagogue in Newport, where it has worshiped for more than a century. Read more.
⚓ The Trump administration is expanding its probe of alleged antisemitism at a May 2024 protest to include all of Brown University going back to October 2023, according to a letter from university officials. Read more.
⚓ More former student-athletes who played for North Kingstown High School basketball coach Aaron Thomas testified Friday about their experiences in his “fat testing” program, feeling embarrassed and unable to say no to the celebrated coach. Read more.
⚓ John Peck, a cultural omnivore known as The Mad Peck whose dryly humorous style as an underground cartoonist, artist, critic, disc jockey, and record collector was accompanied by an ornate eccentricity, died March 15 in Providence. He was 82. Read more.
⚓ This week's Ocean State Innovators Q&A is with J.R. Coffin, founder of Dwelly, a social-impact startup in Rhode Island that’s helping homeowners build accessory dwelling units. Email us with suggestions for this weekly interview. Read more.
You can check out all of our coverage at Globe.com/RI
Also in the Globe
⚓ Under the banner of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement, there's a debate over what food stamp recipients should be allowed to buy. Read more.
⚓ They arrived carrying piles of paperwork, their immigration stories, and a shared goal: to become US citizens amid a crackdown on new arrivals and threats of mass deportation by President Trump.Read more.
⚓ Alex Hassan’s major league career may have been only three games, but now he’s a rising star in the Twins’ front office. Read more.
RHODE ISLAND REPORT PODCAST Ed Fitzpatrick talks to Edesia CEO Navyn Salem about her nonprofit's ongoing battle with the Trump administration. Listen to all of our podcasts here.
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