State-Level Approval Polls Show Declines for Governors and Legislatures in Utah, Minnesota

In August 2026, separate polls in Utah and Minnesota measured public approval of state officials, reflecting declines in both states. In Utah, a poll reported by Deseret News found Gov. Spencer Cox and U.S. Sens. Mike Lee and John Curtis all facing falling approval ratings, which the report tied to issues including data centers, the Disagree Better initiative, and the SAVE America Act. In Minnesota, a KSTP/SurveyUSA poll released in early August and reported by Minnesota News Network found Gov. Tim Walz's approval at 41% with 55% disapproving, producing a net approval rating of minus-14, described as a new low for Walz. The Utah Legislature's approval rating fell six points to end at 44% approve and 45% disapprove, according to the poll cited by Deseret News. In contrast, the Minnesota Legislature's approval remained relatively steady at 35%, up one point from the prior month, per the KSTP/SurveyUSA poll. Deseret News noted that none of Utah's statewide officials are up for election in the November midterms, distinguishing the political stakes of the Utah poll from any immediate electoral consequence. The two polls are independent measurements conducted by different organizations in different states and are not directly comparable beyond both showing declining approval trends for governors and, in one case, a legislature. Specific methodological details such as sample size, margin of error, and exact polling dates were not fully specified in the available reporting for either survey. It remains unresolved what factors specifically drove Gov. Walz's decline, as no underlying causes were cited in the Minnesota report, unlike the Utah report which specified contributing issues.