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Missourians Give Positive Approval Ratings to All Elected Republican Politicians

by Kenneth Warren, Ph.D. on 03/18/2025

03/18/2025

Kenneth Warren, Ph.D., provides expert analysis of the February 2025 SLU/YouGov poll results. 

In our February 2025 SLU/YouGov Poll, Missouri’s likely voters gave almost identical approval ratings to Missouri’s top elected officials, all Republicans, as they did in our February 2024 SLU/YouGov Poll. In our February 2024 poll, 52% of Missouri’s likely voters strongly approved (15%) or approved (37%) of then Republican Governor Mike Parson’s job performance. A year later, new Republican Governor, Mike Kehoe, received almost identical approval scores with 15% strongly approving and 35% approving. As expected during this era of extreme partisan polarization, while 83% of Republican likely voters either strongly approved (29%) or approved (54%) of Kehoe’s performance as governor, only 1% of Democrats strongly approved with 7% approving.

Likely voters' responses to 'Do you approve or disapprove of the way each is doing their job...Governor Mike Kehoe?': 15% Strongly approve, 35% Approve, 11% Disapprove, 20% Strongly disapprove, and 18% Not sure. Democratic voters' responses: ' 1% Strongly approve, 7% Approve, 22% Disapprove, 52% Strongly disapprove, and 17% Not sure. Republican voters' responses: 29% Strongly approve, 54% Approve, 4% Disapprove, 1% Strongly disapprove, and 13% Not sure.

Likely voters' responses to 'Do you approve or disapprove of the way each is doing their job...Governor Mike Kehoe?': 15% Strongly approve, 35% Approve, 11% Disapprove, 20% Strongly disapprove, and 18% Not sure. Democratic voters' responses: ' 1% Strongly approve, 7% Approve, 22% Disapprove, 52% Strongly disapprove, and 17% Not sure. Republican voters' responses:  29% Strongly approve, 54% Approve, 4% Disapprove, 1% Strongly disapprove, and 13% Not sure.

Missouri’s Republican U.S. Senator Josh Hawley’s approval rating increased slightly by 1% from our February 2024 poll. In our 2024 poll Hawley had a 50% approval rating with 27% strongly approving and 23% approving, while in our 2025 poll Hawley’s approval rating stood at 51% with 32% strongly approving and 19% approving. Again, very similar polarization in support was seen among Republicans versus Democrats, as for Kehoe, with 88% of Republicans approving of Hawley’s job performance with 59% strongly approving and 29% approving as contrasted with Democrats with only 1% strongly approving and 6% approving. Such polarization was also seen in our February 2024 SLU/YouGov Poll.

Likely voters' responses to 'Do you approve or disapprove of the way each is doing their job...Senator Josh Hawley?': 32% Strongly approve, 19% Approve, 10% Disapprove, 31% Strongly disapprove, and 9% Not sure. Democratic voters' responses: ' 1% Strongly approve, 6% Approve, 11% Disapprove, 76% Strongly disapprove, and 7% Not sure. Republican voters' responses: 59% Strongly approve, 29% Approve, 4% Disapprove, 1% Strongly disapprove, and 8% Not sure.

Likely voters' responses to 'Do you approve or disapprove of the way each is doing their job...Senator Josh Hawley?': 32% Strongly approve, 19% Approve, 10% Disapprove, 31% Strongly disapprove, and 9% Not sure. Democratic voters' responses: ' 1% Strongly approve, 6% Approve, 11% Disapprove, 76% Strongly disapprove, and 7% Not sure. Republican voters' responses:  59% Strongly approve, 29% Approve, 4% Disapprove, 1% Strongly disapprove, and 8% Not sure.

Missouri’s other U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt’s approval percentages improved slightly from his 45% approval percentage in our 2024 poll to 48% in our 2025 poll. As expected, the same polarization was shown for Schmitt as for Kehoe and Hawley with Republicans approving overwhelmingly of Schmitt’s job performance (81%) with only 7% of Democrats approving. 

Likely voters' responses to 'Do you approve or disapprove of the way each is doing their job...Senator Eric Schmitt?': 23% Strongly approve, 25% Approve, 9% Disapprove, 26% Strongly disapprove, and 17% Not sure. Democratic voters' responses: ' 1% Strongly approve, 6% Approve, 15% Disapprove, 62% Strongly disapprove, and 16% Not sure. Republican voters' responses: 42% Strongly approve, 39% Approve, 3% Disapprove, 1% Strongly disapprove, and 15% Not sure.

Likely voters' responses to 'Do you approve or disapprove of the way each is doing their job...Senator Eric Schmitt?': 23% Strongly approve, 25% Approve, 9% Disapprove, 26% Strongly disapprove, and 17% Not sure. Democratic voters' responses: ' 1% Strongly approve, 6% Approve, 15% Disapprove, 62% Strongly disapprove, and 16% Not sure. Republican voters' responses: 42% Strongly approve, 39% Approve, 3% Disapprove, 1% Strongly disapprove, and 15% Not sure.

Given that Missouri has become since 2016 a dark red state, it is not surprising that these Republicans received such positive approval ratings. Although approval ratings may not seem high at around the 50% range, relatively speaking, given the low approval rating of most politicians in the U.S. and the very low approval ratings for Democrats in Missouri, these approval ratings should be quite comforting to these Missouri Republican office holders. 

Also not surprising is that President Donald Trump, being a Republican President, received quite high approval ratings by Missouri’s likely voters in our February 2025 SLU/You Gov Poll. In sharp contrast to former President Joe Biden’s rather dismal approval ratings in our February 2024 Poll (37% approving or strongly approving), Missouri’s likely voters gave Trump in our 2025 poll a 56% overall approval rating with 42% saying strongly approve with another 14% approving. This approval percentage is slightly lower than the percentage Trump won in the presidential election in Missouri, 58%. The partisan polarization was starker than for the other Republicans we polled in our 2025 survey. While 97% of Republicans approved of Trump’s job performance, only 3% of Democrats approved and less than half of Independents approved (48%). As an experienced pollster in evaluating poll data for many decades, this extreme polarization in approval ratings between Democrats and Republicans is very rare, if not bordering on never seen.

Likely voters' responses to 'Do you approve or disapprove of the way each is doing their job...Donald Trump?': 42% Strongly approve, 14% Approve, 5% Disapprove, 37% Strongly disapprove, and 2% Not sure. Democratic voters' responses: ' 1% Strongly approve, 2% Approve, 5% Disapprove, 90% Strongly disapprove, and 2% Not sure. Republican voters' responses: 75% Strongly approve, 22% Approve, 1% Disapprove, 1% Strongly disapprove, and 0% Not sure.

Likely voters' responses to 'Do you approve or disapprove of the way each is doing their job...Donald Trump?': 42% Strongly approve, 14% Approve, 5% Disapprove, 37% Strongly disapprove, and 2% Not sure. Democratic voters' responses: ' 1% Strongly approve, 2% Approve, 5% Disapprove, 90% Strongly disapprove, and 2% Not sure. Republican voters' responses:  75% Strongly approve, 22% Approve, 1% Disapprove, 1% Strongly disapprove, and 0% Not sure.

Also worth noting was the stark differences in Trump’s approval scores for race, education, and region of state. While white voters gave Trump high overall approval ratings of 61%, only 21% of Black voters and 32% of all non-white voters did. Crosstabs produced a perfect pattern for educational level with 65% of high school or less likely voters approving of Trump’s performance; 60% of those with some college; 56% with those holding a college degree; and only 35% of those with post graduate educations. As expected, Trump’s support in rural areas was much stronger than in the two metro areas of Missouri. While in the St. Louis and Kansas City metro areas Trump received less than 50% approval scores, 42% and 47% respectively, Trump received relatively high approval ratings in all rural areas of the state: 65% in northwest Missouri; 62% in northeast Missouri; 66% in southwest Missouri; and 84% in southeast Missouri, consistently the most conservative area of the state, according to election results and many years of poll data. The late Rush Limbaugh, the renown conservative talk radio host, was born and raised in Cape Girardeau in southeast Missouri.

Although there was very little change in approval ratings for the elected officials we surveyed for in our February 2025 SLU/You Gov Poll compared to our February 2024 Poll, we found some differences in approval ratings for the U.S. Congress, the Supreme Court, and the Missouri legislature. While Missouri’s likely voters gave very low approval ratings for the U.S. Congress in our 2024 poll with only 19% approving (4% strongly approving and 15% approving), in this year’s poll, approval ratings doubled with 41% approving (5% strongly approving and 36% approving). This is probably because likely Missouri voters, being mostly Republicans, did not approve of the U.S. Congress with Biden as president and Republicans not controlling Congress since Democrats held a majority in the Senate. But now Republicans control Washington, D.C. politics with Republicans controlling the presidency and both Houses of Congress. Consequently, Missouri’s predominantly Republican electorate would expectedly be more apt to approve of what Republicans are doing in Washington, D.C.

Likely voters' responses to 'Do you approve or disapprove of the way each is doing their job...The US Congress?': 5% Strongly approve, 36% Approve, 22% Disapprove, 27% Strongly disapprove, and 10% Not sure. Democratic voters' responses: ' 1% Strongly approve, 9% Approve, 28% Disapprove, 57% Strongly disapprove, and 5% Not sure. Republican voters' responses: 10% Strongly approve, 62% Approve, 14% Disapprove, 2% Strongly disapprove, and 12% Not sure.

Likely voters' responses to 'Do you approve or disapprove of the way each is doing their job...The US Congress?': 5% Strongly approve, 36% Approve, 22% Disapprove, 27% Strongly disapprove, and 10% Not sure. Democratic voters' responses: ' 1% Strongly approve, 9% Approve, 28% Disapprove, 57% Strongly disapprove, and 5% Not sure. Republican voters' responses:  10% Strongly approve, 62% Approve, 14% Disapprove, 2% Strongly disapprove, and 12% Not sure.

Republican control of Washington, D.C. politics seems to carry over to improved perceptions of the Supreme Court for likely voters from the red state of Missouri. 2024 Supreme Court decisions, especially U.S. v Trump, where the Supreme Court granted extreme immunity to President Trump, even for prosecution for criminal actions within his official duties and duties within the outer perimeter of his official duties as president, allowed Trump to escape prosecution for criminal charges against him. With Trump being quite popular in Missouri, this decision was probably well received by most Missouri likely voters. So, it was expected that approval ratings of the Supreme Court would increase in our 2025 poll. They did. While in our 2024 poll Missouri likely voters gave the Supreme Court a 43% approval rating, 51% expressed approval of the Supreme Court job performance in our 2025 poll. Partisan polarization was again stark. While Republicans in both our 2024 and 2025 polls gave high approval ratings to the Supreme Court, 68% and 85% respectively, approval ratings among Republican likely voters increased 17% from last year, a relatively big jump. Being that the Supreme Court is controlled by Republican appointed judges by a 6 to 3 margin and making decisions Democrats largely disfavor, Democrat approval ratings have gone from very weak, 14%, in our 2024 poll to dismal, 9%, in our 2025 poll.  Crosstabs in our poll revealed that those with the lowest educational achievement were twice as likely to approve of the Supreme Court’s job performance than those with the highest educational achievement, 54% to 27% respectively. These findings are consistent with our findings throughout our two polls with those with the lowest educational achievement much more likely to approve of Trump’s job performance than those with the highest educational achievement.

Likely voters' responses to 'Do you approve or disapprove of the way each is doing their job...The US Supreme Court?': 10% Strongly approve, 41% Approve, 21% Disapprove, 21% Strongly disapprove, and 7% Not sure. Democratic voters' responses: ' 2% Strongly approve, 7% Approve, 38% Disapprove, 48% Strongly disapprove, and 5% Not sure. Republican voters' responses: 19% Strongly approve, 66% Approve, 6% Disapprove, 0% Strongly disapprove, and 8% Not sure.

Likely voters' responses to 'Do you approve or disapprove of the way each is doing their job...The US Supreme Court?': 10% Strongly approve, 41% Approve, 21% Disapprove, 21% Strongly disapprove, and 7% Not sure. Democratic voters' responses: ' 2% Strongly approve, 7% Approve, 38% Disapprove, 48% Strongly disapprove, and 5% Not sure. Republican voters' responses:  19% Strongly approve, 66% Approve, 6% Disapprove, 0% Strongly disapprove, and 8% Not sure.

Finally, we asked Missouri’s likely voters to rate their state legislature. Approval ratings were about the same this year as in our 2024 SLU/You Gov Poll. In our February 2024 Poll, 45% approved of the Missouri legislature’s job performance, while 48% did this year. Again, stark differences were found between Republican and Democrats with 77% of Republican likely voters approving and only 10% of Democrats. The same trends were found for educational levels with 64% of Missouri’s lowest educated likely voters approving while only 35% of those with the highest educational level approving. Again, we found that approval ratings differed by areas of the state with the predominantly Democratic metro areas of the state much less likely to approve of the job performance of Missouri’s legislature than those residing in Missouri’s predominantly Republican rural areas: St. Louis metro area, 42%; Kansas City metro area, 39%; northeast Missouri, 56%; southwest Missouri, 57%; southeast Missouri, 62%. We had insufficient data to report on northwest Missouri.

Likely voters' responses to 'Do you approve or disapprove of the way each is doing their job...The Missouri State Legislature?': 10% Strongly approve, 38% Approve, 17% Disapprove, 23% Strongly disapprove, and 12% Not sure. Democratic voters' responses: ' 1% Strongly approve, 9% Approve, 23% Disapprove, 56% Strongly disapprove, and 12% Not sure. Republican voters' responses: 20% Strongly approve, 57% Approve, 6% Disapprove, 2% Strongly disapprove, and 15% Not sure.

Likely voters' responses to 'Do you approve or disapprove of the way each is doing their job...The Missouri State Legislature?': 10% Strongly approve, 38% Approve, 17% Disapprove, 23% Strongly disapprove, and 12% Not sure. Democratic voters' responses: ' 1% Strongly approve, 9% Approve, 23% Disapprove, 56% Strongly disapprove, and 12% Not sure. Republican voters' responses:  20% Strongly approve, 57% Approve, 6% Disapprove, 2% Strongly disapprove, and 15% Not sure.

This analysis is based on data from the February 2025 SLU/YouGov Poll and reflects the opinion of the author.