Biden remains unpopular in Missouri, poll shows. What do voters think of Hawley, Schmitt?

A majority of Missouri voters disapprove of President Joe Biden while a plurality approve of Republican Sen. Josh Hawley, according to a new poll.

Both men will be on the ballot in 2024 as Biden seeks a second term in the White House and Hawley stands for reelection to the Senate.

The poll released Thursday by Saint Louis University and British pollster YouGov found that 62% of those surveyed disapproved or strongly disapproved of Biden, compared to 36% that approve or strongly approve of his job performance.

It found that 47% approve or strongly approve of Hawley, the state’s senior senator, while 44% disapprove or strongly disapprove. The remaining 9% said they weren’t sure.

The survey of 900 likely Missouri voters was conducted between Feb. 8 and 14. It has a margin of error of 3.72%. The poll also asked voters to weigh in on a host of other issues, including gun control and school curriculum legislation.

“Biden is relatively pretty unpopular — he’s always been unpopular in Missouri,” said Steve Rogers, an associate professor of political science at Saint Louis University who directed the poll. “Given the redness of Missouri, I expect Republicans to be more popular.”

Former President Donald Trump easily beat Biden in Missouri in 2020, earning nearly 57% of the vote compared to Biden’s 41%.

Hawley’s approval ratings peaked around 50% in July 2021 and have fallen slightly since then, Rogers said.

Hawley faces challenges from two Democrats for his seat in 2024. Former Marine Lucas Kunce, who lost a bid for U.S. Senate last year, and December Harmon, a community activist from Columbia, are both seeking their party’s nomination.

The poll showed that while a plurality of 44% approved or strongly approved of Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt, who was sworn into office in January, 21% were still unsure about the new junior senator. It found that 35% disapproved or strongly disapproved of Schmitt.

“They can base their opinion of him as attorney general, but they don’t really have a good reading yet of him,” Rogers said. “I anticipate that his numbers will remain to be above water.”

The poll also found that 50% of voters approve or strongly approve of Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, compared to 43% who disapprove or strongly disapprove. The remaining 8% said they weren’t sure.

Parson, who assumed office in 2018 after the resignation of former Gov. Eric Greitens, will term out of office in 2025.