Rauner Among 10 Least Popular Governors In U.S.

Illinois has had a tough run when it comes to governors, with corruption charges and prison sentences tarnishing the legacies of recent leaders. Now, current Gov. Bruce Rauner has the dubious distinction of being ranked the seventh least popular governor in the country.

But it could be worse. New Jersey's Chris Christie was named the least popular in the U.S., according to Morning Consult's governor approval rankings.

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Of the 10 least popular state leaders, eight are Republicans, one is an Independent and Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy is the sole Democrat on the list.

According to the rankings, these are the least popular governors in America:

1. Chris Christie (R-NJ)
2. Sam Brownback (R-KS)
3. Dannel Malloy (D-CT)
4. Rick Snyder (R-MI)
5. Mary Fallin (R-OK)
6. Bill Walker (I-AK)
7. Bruce Rauner (R-IL)
8. Scott Walker (R-WI)
9. Susana Martinez (R-NM)
10. Robert Bentley, who struck a deal with prosecutors to plead guilty to misusing of campaign funds in connection with a sex scandal that dogged the embattled politician and resigned on Monday (R-AL)

Rauner has drawn criticism in recent months for what some called a "laughable" budget address, and a number of Illinois Democrats are hoping to win their party's nomination so they can attempt to unseat him in 2018.

Last week, Chicago billionaire J.B. Pritzker officially threw his hat into the ring, calling Rauner "a failure." Pritzker joins other Democratic contenders, including Chris Kennedy, son of the late Robert F. Kennedy; Chicago Alderman Ameya Pawar (47th Ward); State Sen. Daniel Biss; Madison County schools Superintendent Bob Daiber; and Skokie businessman Alex Paterakis.

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But some Illinois politicians have praised Rauner. Downers Grove Republican State Rep. David Olsen is backing the governor's new anti-hate crime proposal, which would would mean harsher sentences for people convicted of hate crimes and require convicts to undergo anti-hate crime education. And during the Republican National Convention, Illinois GOP Chairman Tim Schneider used his moment in the spotlight to dub Rauner the "finest governor in the United States."

Rauner also appeared on the "least popular" list last October. Morning Consult says more than 85,000 registered voters across America evaluated the job performance of their governors from January 2017 through March 2017 to determine the latest rankings. Click here to see the full methodology.

Photo: AP Photo/Seth Perlman, File

Feroze Dhanoa (Patch National Staff) contributed to this report