Josh Shapiro's approval rating
As of the most recent Quinnipiac University poll, 56% of Pennsylvania registered voters approve of Josh Shapiro's job performance as governor and 29% disapprove (fielded February 19-23, 2026). That is down from a series-high 60% approve / 28% disapprove the previous fall (September 25-29, 2025).
Shapiro is Governor of Pennsylvania, so these are Pennsylvania statewide job-approval numbers, not a national rating. He is also widely treated as a leading contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, and Pennsylvania is a premier general-election swing state.
Shapiro approval rating: Quinnipiac trend
Quinnipiac University, a nonpartisan university pollster, has tracked the governor's job approval among Pennsylvania registered voters since June 2023. Its two most recent readings are shown below.
| Survey | Field dates | Approve | Disapprove |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quinnipiac, Feb 2026 836 registered voters, +/- 4.7 pts | February 19-23, 2026 | 56% | 29% |
| Quinnipiac, Oct 2025 1,579 registered voters, +/- 3.3 pts | September 25-29, 2025 | 60% | 28% |
Source: Quinnipiac University Poll, Pennsylvania. Each number is copied verbatim from the linked Quinnipiac release. Quinnipiac's January 2024 reading of 59% approval had been the previous high before the September 2025 survey. Latest data: .
Would Shapiro make a good president?
In the same February 2026 survey, Quinnipiac asked Pennsylvania voters whether Shapiro would make a good president. They were divided:
- 40% said Shapiro would make a good president.
- 43% said he would not.
- 16% did not offer an opinion.
Source: Quinnipiac University Poll, Pennsylvania, fielded February 19-23, 2026. This is a different question from job approval: a voter can rate Shapiro's work as governor highly while being unsure about him as a presidential candidate.
What Shapiro's approval rating measures
Because Josh Shapiro is the Governor of Pennsylvania, his "approval rating" is a Pennsylvania job-approval measure: it asks Pennsylvanians 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. Presidential viability (the "good president" question above) asks something different, and the two can diverge sharply.
- Registered voters: Quinnipiac reports these figures among self-identified Pennsylvania registered voters, with a margin of error of roughly plus-or-minus 3 to 5 points depending on sample size.
- Why it matters for 2028: a governor's home-state standing is one input observers weigh, and Pennsylvania is a top swing state, but approval is a job-performance snapshot, not a prediction of a national race.
For where Shapiro stands against other 2028 contenders, see our 2028 primary polls and prediction-market odds.
Josh Shapiro approval rating: FAQ
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We update this page when a new Pennsylvania job-approval survey is released, and we email a short digest when the 2028 field shifts. One email, no spam.
More on Shapiro and the 2028 race
Shapiro's full 2028 profile: status, latest signal, bio, and where he stands.
Latest national primary-preference polling for Shapiro 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.