48% of polled registered voters in Texas disapprove of Gov. Greg Abbott's (R) handling of the coronavirus pandemic, while 47% approve, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday.
Why it matters: Abbott's net approval rating for his administration's COVID-19 response has slipped by 21 points since early June, when 56% of voters approved of his response and 36% disapproved.
Texas governor's net coronavirus approval rating falls 21 points as cases surge
"Opening up" the state while the pandemic was growing, was not the smartest thing he's ever done; it's devastated many areas of Texas, and the approval rate of his handling the crisis dropped like a rock.
Why it matters: Abbott's net approval rating for his administration's COVID-19 response has slipped by 21 points since early June, when 56% of voters approved of his response and 36% disapproved.
- Texas has reported more than 270,000 new cases and 2,473 deaths due to the virus since June 1, according to data from the state's Health and Human Services Department.
- Abbott lifted Texas' stay-at-home order in April, one of the first governors in the country to do so. As infections surged in June, Abbott expressed regret at reopening bars and restaurants and urged Texans to stay home.
- 76% said they think Abbott's executive order closing bars throughout the state is effective in preventing the virus from spreading further, while 80% approve of his decision to mandate face masks in public.
- 53% responded that they believe the governor should refrain from issuing a statewide stay-at-home order, but 68% of said the governor should allow local officials to issue stay-at-home orders for their areas.
Texas governor's net coronavirus approval rating falls 21 points as cases surge
"Opening up" the state while the pandemic was growing, was not the smartest thing he's ever done; it's devastated many areas of Texas, and the approval rate of his handling the crisis dropped like a rock.
