RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. Longtime Republican Senator Mitch McConnell’s public standing has fallen to its lowest level in two decades of polling, according to a new CNN/SSRS survey released Thursday.
The poll found his favorability rating at just 11 percent—the lowest ever recorded for him in the poll’s history dating to 2006. The decline comes as the longtime Kentucky senator, 84, remains largely absent from public view, fueling questions about both his immediate political future and ability to continue serving in office after his recent hospitalization.
The office of McConnell—who's held a seat in the U.S. Senate since 1985—has released brief updates, but the lack of detailed medical information has done little to quiet the speculation. His extended absence has prompted calls for greater transparency regarding his condition, with some arguing that elected officials should disclose health issues that could affect their ability to serve.
Newsweek reached out to McConnell's office via email on Thursday for comment.
According to the poll, McConnell's favorability is 11 percent, and his unfavorable rating is 53 percent. The survey notes that 15 percent have never heard of McConnell and 20 percent have no opinion.
The last survey conducted by the pollster on McConnell's favorability was taken in October 2023, where the senior senator landed 16 percent favorability and a 58 percent unfavorable rating. Polls dating to November 2006 shows McConnell's favorability never dipped into the teens before the 2023 poll. His favorability hit a high with the pollster in a December 2010 survey where he landed a 32 percent rating compared to a 25 percent unfavorable mark.
Public concern has also intensified, as a "Missing Mitch McConnell" poster appeared in the nation's capital as questions mount over the senator’s prolonged absence. Newly released photos have also generated fresh debate online, with observers questioning his recovery and whether enough information has been shared with the public.
Robert Y. Shapiro, professor of political science and in the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia, told Newsweek via email on Thursday, "His silence on his health was not well received as has his being away from the Senate. The writing is on the wall that he should resign, but his incentive for staying on is to finish his term as a matter of honor and completion if he can, and especially not let his state's governor appoint a Democrat to finish his term."
The latest polling suggests that the controversy may be taking a political toll. Beyond McConnell’s record-low favorability, the new CNN poll shows that 59 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents would be uneasy or upset if the party nominated someone over the age of 70 for office. The survey shows that 41 percent would be enthusiastic or OK with it.
The poll surveyed 1,225 respondents from July 23 to July 27 and has a margin of error of 3.2 percent.
As questions surrounding McConnell’s recovery persist, the debate over age, health and transparency among senior members of Congress is likely to remain in the national spotlight.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear has called on McConnell to provide a more comprehensive update on his health, saying Kentuckians deserve clarity about whether the longtime senator remains capable of fulfilling his responsibilities.
The Democrat heightened that push this week by sending letters to both McConnell and Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune.
Beshear noted that more than six weeks had passed since McConnell's hospitalization, adding that the senator had not participated in Senate votes or other official legislative business during that time. The governor urged McConnell to publicly demonstrate that he is fit to continue serving or step down, while also asking Thune to review the situation and determine whether further action is necessary.
Beshear argued in part that as elected officials, particularly U.S. senators, you "willingly abdicate much of your personal privacy."
In an update from McConnell's office on Monday, the Office of the Attending Physician addressed the senator's health, saying, "Senator McConnell continues his recovery from a fall at home in June. OAP physicians visit with the Senator every day, discussing all aspects of his rehabilitation care. Since his discharge from hospital care, he has maintained a strenuous course of physical therapy and rehabilitation, including multiple sessions a day designed to rebuild strength and reduce the risk of future falls. His bout with childhood polio continues to be a significant factor in his mobility. He is not yet medically cleared to leave the rehab facility and return to the office.”
Under Kentucky law, if McConnell's U.S. Senate seat becomes vacant before Monday, the state would have enough time to hold a special election this year to fill the remainder of his term.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Edward T. Cummins .
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