​​​​FRANKFORT, Ky. (Jan. 26, 2023) – Gov. Andy Beshear’s popularity and job approval remain incredibly high, among the highest of his three years in office, and Kentucky voters support him over the crowd of GOP challengers, according to a new Mason-Dixon poll.

The poll shows 61 percent of Kentuckians approve of Gov. Beshear’s leadership and prefer him in head-to-head contests with each of the GOP challengers.

“Beshear’s numbers remain steady from last January and, in fact, show a slight uptick,” according to Mason-Dixon.

Governor Beshear’s approval rating is strong in every region of the state and Republicans are evenly split on his job performance, with 41 percent approving, according to the Herald-Leader report on the poll.

Sixty-six percent of Kentucky voters in Louisville Metro approve of Governor Beshear, with 63 percent in Lexington, 59 percent in Western Kentucky and 58 percent in both Northern Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky.

“While the other side has continued their desperate, partisan attacks, more and more Kentuckians, in every corner of the Commonwealth, continue to support Andy Beshear and his reelection because they have seen him in action and they know his record,” said Kentucky Democratic Party Chair Colmon Elridge. “The eventual winner of the GOP primary’s crowded, expensive race to the extreme will get to face a popular governor with the resources to run a strong campaign, a historic record of securing good-paying jobs for Kentucky workers, and someone who Kentuckians know gets up everyday committed to them, not petty, partisan, and extreme politics.”

Twelve Republicans including a billionaire and three current statewide elected officials are running in the crowded GOP primary.

Kentuckians support Governor Beshear in head-to-head matchups with each of those candidates:

“The incumbent Democrat holds significant leads over each of the four leading Republican challengers,” according to Mason-Dixon. “Daniel Cameron runs the strongest against Beshear in a general election match-up, but still trails by nine-points (49%-40%). Beshear has double-digit leads over the other leading GOP contenders, topping Kelly Craft by 57%-32%, Ryan Quarles 52%-35% and Mike Harmon 53%-33%.”

The strong polling follows a recent Morning Consult survey showing Beshear is yet again the most popular Democratic governor in the country, and one of the 10 most popular governors in the nation, with both the nonpartisan Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics rating the race as “lean Democrat.”

Gov. Beshear has also raised more than $5 million for his reelection, more than any incumbent governor in Kentucky history going into the election year.

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