About 40% of Michiganders think Gov. Rick Snyder is doing a pretty good job, according to survey results released today by Michigan State University.
His approval rating in the State of the State Survey has been improving for close to a year, say the folks behind the survey, and they come as Gov. Snyder throws his hat back in the ring for re-election. Survey director Charles Ballard says Gov. Snyder's numbers are similar to those of his immediate predecessor, Jennifer Granholm, around the time she decided to run for re-election eight years ago.
"These numbers are not spectacularly favorable, but they're OK," Ballard says. "The comparison with Granholm from eight years ago tells you that Snyder certainly has a decent chance, because Granholm, with similar numbers, was re-elected."
The State of the State survey is done three to four times a year and polls about 1,000 people statewide who are meant to represent the makeup of the state. The most recent approval rating is the governor's highest since he took office in 2011, Ballard says.
Ballard also says they had a surprising finding: When self-professed Republicans were asked about the performance of the Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives, or self-professed Democrats were asked about the Democrat-led U.S. Senate, respondents said it didn't matter if they were the same political party – everyone is doing a bad job. Congress' overall approval rating in this survey is 9%.
