America’s Most Popular GOP Governor Trails Democratic Rival: Latest Polls

Key Points:

• A new University of New Hampshire poll shows Vermont Governor Phil Scott, a Republican, trailing Democratic challenger Amanda Janoo by 6 points among likely voters, signaling a tightening race despite Scott’s previous strong popularity.
• Janoo’s support surged after winning the Democratic primary, closing the gap significantly from earlier polls where Scott held a comfortable lead, reflecting growing voter dissatisfaction with the status quo.
• Scott maintains strong backing among Republicans and independents but struggles to gain support from Democrats, with only 20% of Democrats backing him compared to 73% for Janoo.
• Key voter concerns include trade tensions with Canada, crime related to drug use, and housing affordability, issues that align with broader national Democratic gains ahead of the midterm elections.
• Despite the recent poll, national race ratings still classify the Vermont governor’s race as Likely or Solid Republican, underscoring Scott’s historical popularity and the challenging environment for Democrats to unseat him.