Hawkeye Reporter

In a recent poll conducted by Selzer & Co. of Des Moines, Gov. Kim Reynolds earned a public favorability rating of 51%, her best approval rating in months. 

The 51% figure represents a 5% increase from a March poll. 

The poll broke down her approval rating by several different issues, including Reynolds' handling of the economy, the COVID-19 pandemic, election reform measures, criminal justice, and schools and education. 

According to the poll, 55% of respondents said they approve of the governor's handling of the economy, 54% said they approve of her handling of COVID-19 protocols, 51% approve of her election reform measures, 49% approve of Reynolds' handling of criminal justice and her approval rating reached 48% with respect to school and education. 

One of Reynolds' weak public opinion spots involves her handling of the pandemic. Even in this category, her approval rating increased 7% since March, when the last data was collected on this metric. 

The Des Moines Register interviewed an independent voter who approves of Reynolds' performance, citing her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic as one of her stronger areas. 

“I think her response to COVID was good, because she let Iowans use their own common sense and information to make choices,” Grant Brintnall said regarding the governor's handling of the pandemic. 

While Reynolds garnered much criticism with her handling of the pandemic in recent months, as reported by CBS, her decisions appear to have worked out positively. Her approval on the economy is her strongest suit, largely as a result of decisions made during the pandemic. 

This is supported by a recent study conducted by WalletHub, an analytical source designed to gauge the recovery strength of each state. In this study, Iowa ranked second for its strong pandemic recovery, largely stemming from governor's decision to keep business open as much as possible throughout the pandemic.