Poll: Voters think Governor McKee is doing a decent job

The Rhode Island governor is the second-most popular Democratic governor in the country, behind only Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, according to a new poll from Morning Consult

Governor Dan McKee during the Veterans Day Ceremony at the Rhode Island Veterans Home.Matthew J Lee/Globe staff

Happy Friday! I’m Dan McGowan and I went to bed early and woke up to the Patriots being the ‘85 Bears. Follow me on Twitter @DanMcGowan or send tips to [e-mail].

Coronavirus updates

Rhode Island has a high level of transmission: 266.6 total new cases per 100K population in the past 7 days

Fully vaccinated: 753,967 (of about 1.1 million residents)

New cases: 491

Test-positive rate: 3.2 percent

Currently hospitalized: 107Total deaths: 2,903

More stats from the R.I. Department of Health. Globe Rhode Island COVID-19 news and resources. Subscribe to our Coronavirus Next newsletter.

Leading off

Governor Dan McKee is the second-most popular Democratic governor in the country, behind only Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, according to a new poll from Morning Consult.

With an approval rating of 59 percent, McKee trails several Republican governors, including Vermont Governor Phil Scott (79 percent) and Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker (72 percent), who lead the country. Lamont checked in at 64 percent.

Morning Consult’s survey was conducted over a three-month period (between July 21 and Oct. 20), so take it with a grain of salt. But it’s worth noting that former governor Gina Raimondo always struggled in Morning Consult polls, including posting a 36 percent approval rating in October 2019.

McKee’s approval rating is similar to the 60.2 percent approval rating (for his handling of COVID-19) he had in June, according to the COVID-19 Consortium for Understanding the Public’s Policy Preferences Across States. A poll from the same group in September showed McKee’s COVID-19 approval had fallen to 51.7 percent.

Republican governors held nine of the top 10 spots in Morning Consult’s rankings, while Democrats held six of the 10 lowest approval ratings. Oregon Governor Kate Brown, a Democrat, checked in with the lowest approval rating at 43 percent.

McKee, who succeeded Raimondo in March, hasn’t formally announced his plan to seek a full term as governor next year, but he’s raising money and building his campaign infrastructure. He’s already facing a crowded Democratic primary field, including Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea, state Treasurer Seth Magaziner, former CVS executive Helena Foulkes, former secretary of state Matt Brown, and Luis Daniel Muñoz.

The Globe in Rhode Island

⚓ CVS Health announced Thursday morning that the company plans to close 900 stores nationwide over the next three years because of what executives described as changes in consumer shopping behavior, population, and the future of health care needs. Read more.

⚓ People trying to get federally subsidized housing in Rhode Island face rules around criminal records, alcohol use, tenant histories and credit that go well beyond the guidelines laid out in federal law. Read more.

⚓ There’s a new restaurant opening on Federal Hill today. Alexa Gagosz has the scoop. Read more.

⚓ For two and a half hours on Thursday, Rhode Islanders told a House study commission that the state’s law around shoreline access needed to change. Read more.

⚓ Rhode Map readers have sent another round of Happy Birthday wishes to: Jarrad Plante, Michael Gazdacko, Walker MacMannis (3), Mike Hickey (75), Pablo Rodriguez, Anthony Simon (7, but plays baseball like he’s 15), Corey Welch, Erin Aoyama (28), Nicole Ryan, Clay Pell, Alix Ogden, Maureen MacDonald (75), Providence City Councilman Pedro Espinal, state Representative Ramon Perez, Matthew Friedman, and Elena Harris (14).

Here’s more Globe Rhode Island coverage.

Also in the Globe

⚓ Governor Charlie Baker rebuked state lawmakers a day after they went on recess without a deal on how to spend billions in federal stimulus and state funds, arguing it leaves Massachusetts “stuck in neutral” in its circuitous climb out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more.

⚓ As employers start calling people back to the office, some are finding it difficult to put the genie back in the bottle. Having tasted the freedom of working remotely during the pandemic, and proving they could be effective, employees are resisting directives to return to their desks. Read more.

⚓ Any time you shut out an opponent in the NFL, it’s impressive. Read more.

Our journalism relies on support from readers like you. Please help us continue our mission with a subscription to the Globe. Here’s a special deal for Rhode Island.

What’s on tap today

E-mail events to us at [e-mail].

⚓ The state Commission for Human Rights meets at noon. Here’s the agenda.

⚓ Brown University football hosts 8-1 Dartmouth on Saturday at noon.

⚓ Need something fun to do Saturday night? The Narragansett Bay Chorus is performing in Bristol at 7:30 p.m. You can get tickets here.

My previous column

The Providence City Council wasted a lot of time and money in attempting to impeach the city clerk. Now that the clerk has resigned, it’s time for the council to get back to doing things that actually matter.

If you missed the column, you can read it here. And all of my columns are on our Rhode Island Commentary page.

Rhode Island Report podcast

Ed Fitzpatrick talks to Lorén Spears from the Tomaquag Museum about what Thanksgiving represents for Indigenous people. Listen to all of our podcasts here.

Boston Globe App

You can get alerts about Rhode Island news on the Globe’s app (iOS and Android). Just tap the gear icon, then “Edit Alert Settings,” and choose Rhode Island.

Thanks for reading. Send comments and suggestions to [e-mail], or follow me on Twitter @DanMcGowan. See you on Monday. Please tell your friends about Rhode Map! They can sign up here. The Globe has other e-mail newsletters on topics ranging from breaking news alerts to sports, politics, business, and entertainment — check them out.