Despite possible health concerns, Attorney General Beau Biden is exceedingly popular among Delaware voters as he prepares for a possible gubernatorial bid in 2016.
That’s according to a new University of Delaware poll in which 60 percent residents view him favorably. 24 percent view him unfavorably.
It’s a slight downtick from a similar poll in 2013, but Biden ranks as the second most popular elected official behind Sen. Tom Carper.
Paul Brewer, associate director of UD’s Center for Political Communication, says Biden’s stay at a Houston, Texas cancer treatment hospital last summer and limited appearances since didn’t reflect poorly in voters’ minds.
“It certainly doesn’t seem to have hurt him and he’s a well known and well liked figure," said Brewer. "So, being out of the spotlight isn’t necessarily a bad thing if people already know who you are and already have a favorable opinion of you.”
Biden chose not to see a third term as attorney general this year and since making that announcement in April has rarely been seen at public events.
Gov. Jack Markell’s popularity has slipped slightly according to a new University of Delaware poll.
The second-term governor is viewed favorably by 55 percent of Delawareans compared to 62 percent a year ago.
“Governors, like presidents, tend to be the most visible, easy targets for blame and when you’re a chief executive, you’re individually responsible for decisions about how things are going to go," said Brewer. "When you’re in that position for a long time, you’re going to do things that make people mad or get blamed for things that happen.”
Markell has overseen scandals in recent months, including several campaign finance discrepancies and the I-495 bridge closing. He also floated a highly unpopular gas tax proposal that went nowhere.
Those numbers still rank Markell among the most popular elected officials, though.
Lt. Gov Matt Denn, who is running for Attorney General this fall, was also rated in this poll. He is viewed favorably by 39 percnet of Delawareans and unfavorably by 13 percent, but 46 percent of Delawareans said they had never heard of him or could not rate him. The 2013 poll did not ask about Denn.
The poll also noted Vice President Joe Biden or former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would trounce many of the potential Republican presidential candidates in the First State were the election held today.
More than 900 Delawareans were polled with about a four percent margin of error.
