Chris Christie is most unpopular governor in US

By Mallory Shelbourne

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) is the most unpopular governor in the U.S., a new poll finds.

71 percent of New Jersey votes disapprove of Christie while just 25 percent approve, according to the Morning Consult poll released Tuesday.

Christie edged out Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback (R) as the nation's least popular. Brownback had a 66 percent disapproval to 27 percent approval, the poll found.

Christie's numbers decreased after he dropped out of last year's GOP presidential primary and became a surrogate for then-candidate Donald Trump, the poll said.

On the flip side, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) was rated the most popular governor, with 75 percent approval to 17 percent disapproval. Following Baker on the list were Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R).

Morning Consult surveyed 85,000 registered voters across the country from January 2017 through March 2017. The poll asked voters about the job performance of their local politicians, including the governor, two senators, and representative.

The results are emblematic of Christie's poor numbers in the last year.

A December poll found that 71 percent of New Jerseyans thought Christie should be a defendant in the "Bridgegate" scandal that has plagued his governorship. Two of the governor's aides were sentenced last month for arranging the 2013 lane closure on the George Washington Bridge as political payback for a New Jersey mayor who didn't endorse Christie in his re-election bid.

Christie's approval rating has continued to drop in various polls over the last year, reaching record lows.