Andy Beshear's approval rating
As of the most recent Emerson College poll, 50% of Kentucky likely voters approve of Andy Beshear's job performance as governor and 37% disapprove (fielded March 29-31, 2026). That is down slightly from 52% approve / 31% disapprove in Emerson's previous Kentucky survey (January 31-February 2, 2026).
Beshear is Governor of Kentucky, so these are Kentucky statewide job-approval numbers, not a national rating. Nationally, Morning Consult ranked him the most popular Democratic governor in the country at 65% approval in its fourth-quarter 2025 tracker. He is widely treated as a possible 2028 Democratic contender and chairs the Democratic Governors Association in 2026.
Beshear approval rating: Emerson College trend
Emerson College Polling, a nonpartisan university pollster, has surveyed Kentucky voters on Governor Beshear's job approval twice in 2026. Both readings are shown below, newest first.
| Survey | Field dates | Approve | Disapprove |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emerson College, Mar 2026 1,050 likely voters, +/- 2.9 pts | March 29-31, 2026 | 50% | 37% |
| Emerson College, Feb 2026 1,000 likely voters, +/- 3.0 pts | January 31-February 2, 2026 | 52% | 31% |
Source: Emerson College Polling, Kentucky (likely voters). Each number is copied verbatim from the linked Emerson release. In the February reading, 17% were neutral or had no opinion. Latest data: .
Most popular Democratic governor in the country
Morning Consult runs a quarterly Governor Approval tracker that surveys registered voters in every state. In its fourth-quarter 2025 release:
- Beshear's approval was 65%, the highest of any Democratic governor.
- That figure matched his fourth-quarter 2024 rating in the same tracker.
Source: Morning Consult Governor Approval tracker (Q4 2025), as reported by Spectrum News. Morning Consult's figure is higher than Emerson's because the two use different methods: Morning Consult polls registered voters and averages responses collected over the full quarter, while Emerson polls likely voters in a short field window. Both show Beshear net positive.
Do Kentucky voters want Beshear to run for president?
Emerson asked Kentucky voters that question in its late-January 2026 survey. They leaned against it:
- 48% said Beshear should not run for president.
- 35% said he should.
- The rest were unsure.
Source: Emerson College Polling, Kentucky, fielded January 31-February 2, 2026. This is a different question from job approval: a voter can rate Beshear's work as governor highly while preferring he stay in Kentucky.
What Beshear's approval rating measures
Because Andy Beshear is the Governor of Kentucky, his "approval rating" is a Kentucky job-approval measure: it asks Kentuckians whether they approve of how he is handling his job as governor. It is not a national number, and it is separate from how he polls in the 2028 Democratic presidential primary.
- Job approval asks about performance in office. Whether voters want him to run for president (the question above) asks something different, and the two can diverge.
- Different pollsters, different numbers: Emerson (likely voters) had him near 50%, while Morning Consult (registered voters, quarterly average) had him at 65%. Method differences of this size are normal; the direction, net positive, is consistent.
- Why it matters for 2028: strong approval in a state that votes Republican for president is central to Beshear's national pitch, but approval is a job-performance snapshot, not a prediction of a national race.
For where Beshear stands against other 2028 contenders, see our 2028 primary polls and prediction-market odds.
Andy Beshear approval rating: FAQ
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Is Andy Beshear's approval rating going up or down?
Why is a Democrat so popular in deep-red Kentucky?
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Is this Andy Beshear's national approval rating?
Get 2028 updates
We update this page when a new Kentucky job-approval survey is released, and we email a short digest when the 2028 field shifts. One email, no spam.
More on Beshear and the 2028 race
Beshear's full 2028 profile: status, latest signal, bio, and where he stands.
Latest national primary-preference polling for Beshear and the rest of the Democratic field.
Prediction-market odds for who will win the 2028 presidency, sourced and dated.
The full Democratic field for 2028, tiered by status with frontrunners up top.