Survey: Kevin McCarthy the Most Popular Congressional Leader

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is the most popular congressional leader compared to others — including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), a Politico/Morning Consult survey released this week found.

The survey asked respondents to rate the favorability of key congressional leaders and found Americans’ opinions souring.

Schumer, for example, has a net negative rating of -15 — 43 unfavorable to 28 percent favorable. McConnell fares even worse with a net negative rating -32. A majority, 54 percent, find him unfavorable compared to 22 percent who view him favorably.

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 23: (L-R) U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) talk to reporters after a bipartisan group of Senators and White House officials came to an agreement over the Biden administrations proposed infrastructure plan at the U.S. Capitol on June 23, 2021 in Washington, DC. After initial negotiations between the White House and Senate Republicans fell through a new bipartisan group of Senators came together with the hopes of reaching a deal for a much need infrastructure spending plan. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Nancy Pelosi; Chuck Schumer

U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) talk to reporters after a bipartisan group of Senators and White House officials came to an agreement over the Biden administrations proposed infrastructure plan at the U.S. Capitol on June 23, 2021, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, a majority, 55 percent, find Pelosi unfavorable, compared to 32 percent who view her otherwise, giving her a net negative rating of -23. While Minority Leader McCarthy also has a net negative approval of -6 percent, it is the smallest net negative of the group, making him the most popular among the group. Fifty-one percent view him unfavorably, compared to 45 percent who view him favorably.

Notably, the survey also showed President Joe Biden with an underwater approval rating of -6. Vice President Kamal Harris saw a net negative rating as well: -10, or 50 percent unfavorable to 40 percent favorable.

The survey, taken December 18-20, 2021, among 1,998 registered voters, has a margin of error of +/- 2 percent.

The poll coincides with the recent defeat of Biden’s multitrillion-dollar Build Back Better Act, which Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) effectively killed this week.

Meanwhile, Republicans in Congress have directed attention toward Biden’s overreaching vaccine mandates. The Senate recently voted 52-48 in favor of repealing Biden’s federal vaccine mandate, and the measure has backing from the entire House GOP conference.

COMMENTS