Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy's (D.) approval rating is the lowest its ever been with just 24 percent of voters in the state saying they approve of the job he is doing, according to a new poll from Quinnipiac University.
The low approval rating is rooted in the state's economy, which voters say is still headed in the wrong direction. Eighty percent of voters polled rated the economy as either "not so good" or "poor."
"Voters feel Connecticut's economy is going down the drain and they are sending Gov. Dannel Malloy's approval ratings right down the same drain," said Quinippiac's Douglas Schwartz. "Even Democrats disapprove of the way he is doing his job."
"You know people are hurting financially when 60 percent of voters say they would find it difficult to pay an unexpected bill of $1,000 immediately," Schwartz said. "Voters are sending a clear message: Connecticut's economy needs fixing."
The Republican Governors Association pointed to Malloy's role as a surrogate for Hillary Clinton, calling him a "liability."
"As the most unpopular governor in America, a top surrogate for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign and chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, Malloy will continue to be a major liability to Democrat gubernatorial candidates everywhere over the next five months," said Jon Thompson, the RGA spokesman.
The approval rating is especially low when compared to Republican governors in the region.
Republican Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland currently enjoys the highest approval rating, 66 percent, for the state office since at least 1998. Earlier this year in Massachusetts, Republican Gov. Charlie Baker saw approval ratings above 80 percent.