According to a new Public Policy Polling survey, John McCain is the least popular currently serving Senator:
Sen. John McCain is the least popular senator in the country of those surveyed by Public Policy Polling, with low marks from members of his own party, independents and Democrats.six
Just 30 percent of Arizona voters approve of the job the Republican senator is doing, while 54 percent disapprove, according to a PPP release Thursday. That is the worst of any senator’s polling in the nation that PPP has found.
Among members of his own party, McCain is at 35 percent approval to 55 percent disapproval; the comparable figures among Democrats are 29 percent to 53 percent, and among independents, 25 percent to 55 percent.
McCain also trails most potential challengers if he chooses to run again in 2016. Former Rep. Gabby Giffords led McCain 42 percent to 35 percent in a hypothetical matchup, and former Surgeon General Richard Carmona led McCain 41 percent to 35 percent.
McCain would also likely face a serious challenge inside his own party for the Senate nomination in 2016, most likely from one of the four Republicans representing the state in the House of Representatives, although one could imagine Governor Jan Brewer, who is barred from running for a second term this year as a potential challenger as well. At the same time, McCain will turn 80 before the 2016 election and there’s been plenty of speculation that he may decide to retire rather than running for a sixth term in the Senate, especially considering that 2016 would mark his 36th year in electoral politics. Obviously, if McCain’s numbers continue to be this bad, retirement will become more likely than not.
