The current political climate is challenging for incumbents, with repeated waves of the coronavirus pandemic (five so far) that only recently have ebbed. Plus, inflation has returned to an extent not seen since 40 years ago, and gas prices are still at record high (nominal) levels. Throw in foreign policy challenges in Afghanistan and the Ukraine, and you have an unsettled electorate.

Given this backdrop, what do voters think (in terms of approval/disapproval) of its top elected statewide officials ? And how would they respond to ballot tests both for the 2022 Senate race and 2023 governor’s races ? This poll (commissioned by private subscribers) seeks answers those those questions. Major takeaways are as follows:

1. Each of the three major statewide elected officials (Governor Edwards, Senator Kennedy, and Senator Cassidy) has differing approval ratings, for different reasons; and
2. There is currently a notable amount of disenchantment among black voters against Democratic officeholders.

The actual poll itself can be found here