The national limelight also brought a small decline to another member of the Senate Democratic Caucus. Tim Kaine of Virginia, who served as Clinton’s running mate, saw his disapproval rise 10 points, from 26 percent to 36 percent, although 50 percent of Virginians still approve of his job performance.
Senate Republicans had a challenging map to defend in 2016, and proof of the party’s performance, which exceeded expectations, can be found in the approval rankings of several members.
The best example is Sen. Rob Portman, who was originally pegged as one of the most vulnerable members of the cycle. The Ohio Republican now has the approval of 53 percent of his constituents, compared with 40 percent in September. His negatives have also dropped 4 points, from 31 percent to 27 percent.
Other Republican incumbents who faced a barrage of negative ads in 2016 also seem to have recovered in terms of perception.
-Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s net rating rose by 10 points.
-Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul’s net rating rose by 5 points.
-Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey ‘s net rating rose by 3 points.
-Arizona Sen. John McCain’s net rating rose by 2 points.
Two Republicans, Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt (by 5 points) and Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson (by 2 points), saw minor dips.
Read more: Where Trump’s Possible 2020 Challengers Stand With Voters at Home
Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska saw the biggest drop among incumbents who ran in 2016, as well as the biggest drop overall: Her net approval dropped 26 points, although more than half (53 percent) of Alaskans still approve of her job performance, compared with 40 percent who do not.
Senate delegations from smaller states tended to be more popular among their voters, with Wyoming and Vermont leading the way in terms of net approval. North Carolina, a perennial presidential battleground state, has the least popular delegation.
Alabama Sen. Luther Strange (R) is not included in the list because he recently replaced Jeff Sessions, who now serves as attorney general.
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