Andy Beshear approval rating data remains positive in Kentucky, with the latest statewide Emerson College Polling survey showing 50% of likely voters approving of his performance as governor and 37% disapproving. The survey was conducted March 29–31, 2026, among 1,050 likely Kentucky voters.
The latest verified polling available as of August 16, 2026, does not show a newer statewide job-approval survey that replaces those March numbers. That makes the 50% approval figure the most recent confirmed Kentucky-specific measure available from a major pollster. Beshear’s standing remains notably positive for a Democratic governor serving in a state that consistently favors Republicans in federal elections.
Latest Andy Beshear Approval Rating
The March Emerson College Polling/FOX56 survey provides the clearest recent snapshot of how Kentucky voters viewed Beshear’s job performance.
| Measure | Latest verified result |
|---|---|
| Approve | 50% |
| Disapprove | 37% |
| Net approval | +13 points |
| Survey dates | March 29–31, 2026 |
| Sample | 1,050 likely Kentucky voters |
| Credibility interval | ±2.9 percentage points |
The survey found that Beshear’s approval remained above his disapproval rating by 13 percentage points. Emerson weighted the results by factors including gender, education, race, age, party registration and region.
The figures also show why Beshear continues to attract attention beyond Kentucky. His approval is not limited to a narrow partisan base. Earlier 2026 polling found meaningful support among independent voters as well.
How the 2026 Numbers Have Changed
Beshear’s polling numbers have varied depending on the pollster, timing and methodology.
An Emerson College Polling survey conducted January 31–February 2 found 52% approval and 31% disapproval among 1,000 likely Kentucky voters. That produced a 21-point positive gap.
The later March survey showed approval at 50% and disapproval at 37%. That represents a modest decline in approval and a larger increase in disapproval compared with the February Emerson survey.
The change is important, but it should not be treated as evidence of a dramatic collapse in support. Polling results can move as voters respond to new events, political debates and changing economic concerns.
The most recent Emerson numbers therefore point to a governor who still holds an overall positive job rating, even though his margin has narrowed.
Morning Consult Shows Stronger Support
Another major polling source has produced a more favorable picture of Beshear’s standing.
Morning Consult’s latest publicly reported governor tracking figures available in early 2026 placed Beshear at 65% approval and 28% disapproval among Kentucky registered voters. His net approval stood at +37 points.
That figure came from Morning Consult’s fourth-quarter 2025 tracking and was released in February 2026. It was not a March, April, May, June, July or August 2026 poll.
The distinction matters because the 65% figure is sometimes presented online as though it were the newest 2026 reading. It is better understood as the latest publicly reported Morning Consult figure found in the current polling record, rather than a fresh August measurement.
The difference between Morning Consult’s 65% approval and Emerson’s later 50% figure also demonstrates why a single approval number should not be treated as an absolute measure of public opinion.
Why Poll Numbers Differ
Approval ratings can differ substantially between polling organizations without either poll necessarily being incorrect.
Several factors can affect the result:
- The survey may question registered voters or likely voters.
- Pollsters can use different sampling methods.
- Field dates can fall weeks or months apart.
- Question wording can influence responses.
- Weighting methods can produce different demographic balances.
- Some surveys provide a neutral or no-opinion option, while others handle undecided respondents differently.
Emerson’s March survey questioned 1,050 likely Kentucky voters and reported a credibility interval of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points. The poll used voter-file contacts, text-to-web responses, email and panel interviews.
That methodology makes the March Emerson survey particularly useful for understanding the current Kentucky political environment, but it does not mean the 50% figure should be combined mechanically with the 65% Morning Consult number.
Beshear Still Has a Positive Overall Rating
Despite the differences between polls, the broader picture remains favorable.
The March Emerson survey recorded more Kentucky voters approving than disapproving of Beshear’s performance. The 50% approval figure exceeded the 37% disapproval figure by 13 points.
That positive margin is significant because Kentucky’s electorate remains strongly Republican in statewide and federal politics. Beshear has nonetheless won two gubernatorial elections and has maintained enough support among voters outside his Democratic base to remain competitive in the state.
The February Emerson survey provided another indication of that cross-party reach. Beshear received majority approval from independent voters, while his approval among Democrats reached 81%.
Those numbers help explain why his job approval has remained positive even as Kentucky’s partisan environment has stayed heavily Republican.
The Approval Rating and Beshear’s National Profile
Beshear’s popularity in Kentucky has also contributed to growing national attention around his political future.
A July 2026 Emerson national survey included Beshear in an early look at potential Democratic contenders for the 2028 presidential nomination. He received 7% support among respondents in that national Democratic primary question.
That result did not measure his job approval as governor. It measured support in a hypothetical 2028 Democratic primary field. The distinction is important.
A governor can have strong approval at home without automatically having the same level of support nationally. Conversely, national political interest does not necessarily translate into higher or lower approval among voters in the governor’s state.
For Beshear, the two measures are nevertheless connected by his reputation as a Democrat who has maintained support in Kentucky.
What the Latest Poll Says About Kentucky Voters
The March Emerson survey also placed Beshear’s approval rating in the context of other political attitudes across Kentucky.
Fifty-two percent of Kentucky voters in that survey approved of President Donald Trump’s performance, while 42% disapproved. Beshear’s 50% approval was therefore close to Trump’s 52% approval in the same survey.
The poll also showed that Kentucky voters were focused heavily on economic pressures. Thirty percent identified everyday bills as their biggest personal economic concern, while 27% cited groceries and food bills. Healthcare costs followed at 16%.
These results provide useful context for understanding approval ratings. Voters do not evaluate governors in isolation. Economic conditions, household expenses, healthcare costs and other concerns can influence how people judge state leadership.
Beshear’s Standing Compared With Earlier Years
Beshear’s approval has moved considerably during his time in office.
Morning Consult data reported in early 2026 showed that his approval reached 68% at the beginning of 2025 before falling to 65% by the fourth quarter. His highest Morning Consult approval in the cited historical series was 76% at the beginning of 2020, shortly after he took office.
The long-term record shows that his popularity has not remained fixed. Approval has risen and fallen as Kentucky voters have responded to different political and policy circumstances.
The latest Emerson figures are therefore best viewed as part of a longer trend rather than as an isolated number.
Is Andy Beshear Still Popular in Kentucky?
The latest verified polling indicates that Beshear remains more popular than unpopular among Kentucky voters.
The strongest recent Kentucky-specific number is the 50% approval rating recorded by Emerson in late March. His 37% disapproval rating left him with a positive 13-point margin.
Morning Consult’s most recently reported statewide figure is considerably higher at 65%, with 28% disapproving. However, that measurement comes from the fourth quarter of 2025 and was released in February 2026.
For readers looking for the most current figure, the key point is that no verified statewide poll located through August 16, 2026, provides a newer job-approval measurement than Emerson’s March survey.
That means claims circulating online about a newer August approval rating should be treated carefully unless they can be tied to a newly released, identifiable statewide poll.
What to Watch in Future Polling
The next major Kentucky statewide survey will be important because Beshear’s current numbers have already shown movement between polling releases.
Three developments will matter most:
- Whether approval remains above 50%.
- Whether the gap between approval and disapproval widens or narrows.
- Whether independent voters continue to give Beshear majority support.
A future poll using a comparable methodology will provide the clearest way to determine whether the March numbers represented a temporary shift or a longer-term change in public opinion.
For now, the evidence does not support describing Beshear as unpopular in Kentucky. It also does not support presenting the older 65% Morning Consult number as though it were a new August 2026 measurement.
Bottom Line on Andy Beshear’s Approval Rating
The latest verified Kentucky polling gives Beshear a 50% approval rating and 37% disapproval rating. The survey was conducted March 29–31 and included 1,050 likely voters.
His approval remains positive, although the March Emerson result was weaker than the 52% approval recorded by the same pollster in February. Morning Consult’s separate 65% figure remains an important part of the broader polling record, but it comes from late 2025 rather than a new summer 2026 survey.
As of August 16, 2026, the most responsible reading is that Beshear continues to hold a net-positive standing among Kentucky voters, while the exact level of support depends heavily on the pollster, survey period and methodology.
What do you think the next Kentucky poll will show for Beshear’s standing? Share your thoughts and stay updated as new verified numbers emerge.