KENTUCKY — Gov. Andy Beshear (D) is the fifth most popular governor in the U.S., according to new polling released Wednesday by Morning Consult.

The latest Morning Consult survey was conducted from Jan. 1 to March 31 among registered voters in all 50 states as part of a larger survey of the popularity of U.S. senators and governors.

Beshear's 63% approval rating, up from 59% one year ago, makes him the most popular Democratic governor. Nationwide, he's fifth behind Republicans Phil Scott (Vermont), Mark Gordon (Wyoming), Chris Sununu (New Hampshire) and Jim Justice (West Virginia).

The new polling comes at a time when Beshear is bracing for a potentially expensive reelection bid. Twelve Republicans, including Attorney General Daniel Cameron, Somerset Mayor Alan Keck, Ag Commissioner Ryan Quarles and billionaire Kelly Craft, are running to unseat him.

Despite his popularity, the incumbent Democrat will likely face an uphill battle in a state that is increasingly shifting red. In November 2022, Republicans expanded their supermajority in the General Assembly to 80 seats while the Democratic caucus shrunk to just 20. When Beshear flipped the governor’s mansion in 2019, he was the only Democrat to win a statewide executive office.

While Republicans gained the advantage in official party registrations last year, independent voters also surged as a voting bloc with the addition of 3,973 voters. With all those factors in play, Kentucky’s governor’s race is attracting national attention for what it might portend for Democrats’ prospects in rural states increasingly shifting red.

Digital Producer Chris Hughes contributed to this report.