It’s guv love. A poll by NBC/SurveyMonkey, Mississippi Today and Mississippi Today found that 67 per cent of Mississippians approve of Gov. Phil Bryant is doing a great job. This is a much better showing than President Donald Trump’s, who was only 5% lower at 57% approval. But, Mississippians surveyed “strongly” approved of Trump (35%), compared to Bryant (27%). U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (61% approval) and retired U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (59%), polled better than Trump, but less than the governor. Bryant’s approval rating is higher than that of the Mississippi Legislature, which received 56 percent approval from respondents. The Legislature received some support, but not as much as the federal government. 26 percent of respondents said they trust the state government to do right things, compared with 16 percent who answered the same question about the federal government. A companion poll of Southern residents found that only 21 percent believed their state government would do the right thing every time or most of them. This puts the Mississippi Legislature ahead of the rest. Click here to see the NBC News report about the Southern states region poll. The survey surveyed 1,486 adults between March 12th and April 25. It was weighted according to gender, age, race, and education level. The poll’s sample error was +/-4.6 percent. The poll was taken during the same time that Bryant announced that Cindy Hyde Smith, the state agriculture commissioner would replace retiring U.S. Senator Thad Cochran. However, this decision didn’t seem to have affected his popularity with his base. According to those who identified their party affiliations, 91 percent of Republican respondents favored Bryant’s job performance. This compares with 44 percent for Democrats and 44 percent for independents. Bryant’s 67 per cent approval rating closely matches the margin by which Bryant won re-election in 2015. He won 66.6 percent votes to 32.1 % of Robert Gray, his Democratic opponent. Bryant won 61 percent of the votes in his 2011 gubernatorial win over Johnny DuPree, then Hattiesburg Mayor. Bryant, a conservative who was elected to the presidency in 2011, became the first tea-party governor in the country. The then-Lt. Governor. Bryant was also the chairman of “Personhood Initiative”, which would have redefined when it all began. Bryant was the chairman of the so-called Personhood initiative, which would have redefined when life begins. However, Bryant has been a constant leader in battles for pro-life initiatives. Bryant also promoted “religious liberty” initiatives that critics claim could allow LGBT persons to be discriminated against. Bryant’s state-of the-state address outlined his accomplishments during his tenure. He cited records in state unemployment, new economic development projects throughout the state, and the opening of the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, and Museum of Mississippi History. Bryant stated that we are celebrating it because we believe — and this morning I heard that more Mississippians believe they’re on the right path now than ever before in recent polls. Bryant spoke at the annual meeting of the Mississippi Economic Council. Bryant supported an immediate ban on abortion after the 15th weeks of pregnancy during the most recent legislative session. This was challenged by reproductive rights advocates. Bryant also supported President Donald Trump who won 60% of the Mississippi vote over Democrat Hillary Clinton. Bryant voted for Trump, and he regularly visits Washington, D.C. to meet with administration officials and the president. Andy Taggart is a long-time Republican observer, and operative who believes Bryant’s popularity may be higher than his approval rating. Taggart stated that Bryant was the most beloved political figure in my lifetime at times during his two terms. Taggart, who had previously flirted with the possibility of running for the U.S. Senate, stated that Hyde-Smith’s popularity would be a benefit when she campaigns this fall for Hyde Smith to keep her Senate seat and perhaps carry the mantel to create the new state flag. Taggart stated that “the governor is uniquely placed to lead us towards a new flag.” Bryant’s approval rating is 74% among those over 65. Bryant also has above 50 percent approval from his peers in all age groups and between genders. Bryant’s job performance is praised by 71% of men, compared to 64% of women. Bryant was rated the lowest by non-whites, out of all racial groups. Only 44% of the surveyed African Americans (who make up 37% of Mississippi’s population) approved Bryant’s job performance. Only 35% of those who identified themselves as another race approved Bryant. The approval ratings for the legislative branch are also higher than Bryant’s, but they are not as high. The poll found that 56 percent of respondents “strongly” or somewhat approve of the way the Legislature handles its job, compared with 40 percent who disapprove. The poll found that 56 percent of people approve or somewhat approve of how the Legislature is handling its job, compared to 40 percent who disapprove. SurveyMonkey polls were conducted March 12-25, 2018, among a national sample of 15,238 adults (+/- 1.1); a regional sample of 4,132 adults who live in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia (+/- 2.4); a sample of 1,486 adults who live in Mississippi (+/-4.6); a sample of 1,498 adults who live in Alabama (+/- 4.5); a sample of 2,209 adults who live in Georgia (+/- 3.4); and a sample of 1,710 adults who live in Tennessee (+/- 4.1). The nearly three million SurveyMonkey users who complete surveys each day were eligible to participate in this nonprobability survey. Click here to see the methodology and full results.