Maryland State Wire

Scoring high in leadership, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan ranks second among America’s governors with a 68 percent approval rating, according to a recent Morning Consult poll issued for the year’s second quarter.

The distinction marks the second consecutive No. 2 ranking for the Republican governor at a critical time leading up to November’s gubernatorial elections. Hogan faces a showdown with Democratic opponent Ben Jealous.

A second organization, Real Clear Politics, placed Hogan well ahead of Jealous in the upcoming election race, observing the incumbent’s lead of 15 points with support of 49 percent of those polled compared to Jealous’ 34 percent.

Hogan has already garnered backing from a significant number of Democratic figures including both current and past public figures; the governor’s campaign crew has tallied 50 such endorsements according to the Annapolis Patch. Among his supporters are Gaithersburg Mayor Jud Ashman, Bowie City Councilman Henri Gardner, Bowie Mayor Fred Robinson, and former Anne Arundel County Executive Jim Lighthizer.

Only one governor topped Hogan’s -- Massachusetts’ Charlie Baker — and by only 1 percentage point — based on results from over 326,000 U.S. voters surveyed during the quarter’s three-month span.

Other state leaders pulling top marks for popularity according to the Morning Consult survey — all Republicans — include Kay Ivey (Alabama), Chris Sununu (New Hampshire), Dennis Daugaard (South Dakota), Matt Mead (Wyoming), Brian Sandoval (Nevada), Asa Hutchinson (Arkansas), Nathan Deal (Georgia) and Greg Abbott (Texas).