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Poll: Many residents uncertain about state elected officials

By Christen Smith 2 min read
Gov. Josh Shapiro/Facebook Gov. Josh Shapiro and legislative leaders celebrate the signing of legislation to remove out-of-pocket costs for breast and ovarian cancer screenings in Pennsylvania.

New survey results suggest many residents don't know much about elected leaders in Pennsylvania.

Aside from Gov. Josh Shapiro, most respondents said they either "never heard of" or were "unsure" about the performance of certain administration officials and legislative leaders -- including Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, Democratic House Speaker Joanna McClinton, and Republican Senate President Kim Ward.

The survey questioned roughly 800 registered voters between June 16 and June 19. The partisan split of respondents was 39% Democrats, 38% Republicans, and 23% Independent, with a 3.46% margin of error.

More than half of the residents polled either didn't know or weren't certain of their approval for the leaders. Other cabinet members - including Treasurer Stacy Garrity, Auditor General Timothy DeFoor, and Acting Attorney General Michelle Henry - also flew under the radar of most respondents.

The three branches of government fared better overall. Shapiro's favorability rating came in at 61%, with just 12% indicating they'd either never heard of him or were uncertain about him.

The state House earned a 40% favorable rating compared to a 34% unfavorable, while 26% had neither heard of the chamber or were uncertain about it. Senate ratings came in at 41%, 35% and 25%, respectively.

Some 44% of respondents approved of the state Supreme Court, while 29% disagreed. Another 30% had either never heard of or were uncertain about the bench.

Starting at /week.