Hartford Courant: Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy’s Approval Rating Decline Is a ‘Stunning Rebuke’

In what the Hartford Courant refers to as “a stunning rebuke” of Gov. Dannel Malloy (D-WFP), the newly released Quinnipiac University survey finds the Connecticut governor’s approval rating has plummeted to 32%, the “lowest score for any governor in the nine states surveyed” this year.

The Courant endorsed Malloy in his re-election bid last year, referring to the state as “an incubator for progressive policies.” The legislature is Democrat-led, as well.

On the occasion of President Obama’s visit to Connecticut prior to Malloy’s re-election, the Courant wrote:

Whether in the area of gun control, a minimum wage increase, universal preschool or the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, Malloy has been a champion for the liberal cause, accomplishing in Connecticut what the president has failed to advance federally.

Nevertheless, despite advancing liberal social justice policies, Medicaid expansion for Obamacare, one of the nation’s strictest gun control laws, transgender bathrooms, and driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants, the Governor is being rebuked by Democrats, Republicans, and independents for raising taxes and mismanaging the state’s budget.

“Gov. Dannel Malloy’s job approval rating has plummeted to 32 percent, close to the historic 24 percent low hit by disgraced former Gov. John Rowland in January 2004, and Gov. Malloy is not in the middle of a corruption scandal,” said Quinnipiac University Poll Director Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D. “Malloy is getting hammered on the critical pocketbook issues, taxes, the budget and the economy and jobs.”

“Only 36 percent of voters are satisfied with the way things are going in the state, one of the lowest scores since Quinnipiac University started asking this question in 1997,” he added.

The poll shows Connecticut voters sharply disapprove of Malloy, 58-32 percent, with 4-1 negative scores for his management of taxes and the state’s finances.

Only 58% of Democrats in the state approve of Malloy, while 86% of Republicans and 61% of independents disapprove. Men disapprove of the Governor at 62% and women at 55%.

A full 75% of Connecticut voters give Malloy a “not so good” or “poor” rating on the state’s economy, with only 5% of voters finding Malloy’s policies have helped them.

A Gallup poll in 2014 found Connecticut had dropped to dead last place in the nation in job creation, as workers reported the worst climate for hiring.

According to the Hartford Courant, Malloy spokesman Devon Puglia said about the survey results, “Polls go up, they go down, and we don’t comment on them. What’s always constant, however, is our work to build Connecticut’s long-term future.”

From October 7-11, 1,735 registered voters participated in the poll, which has a margin of error of +/-2.4 percentage points.