Her role in the impeachment proceedings has earned Susan Collins (R-ME) the title of most unpopular senator. According to surveys carried out by Morning Consult from October to December 2019, Collins’ disapproval rating was at an average 52 percent, overtaking Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) who formerly had the honor of serving as the Senate pariah on top of his duties as Majority Leader.
Another Republican, Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) was voted among the five least popular senators in late 2019. Similar to Collins, Murkowski has been considered a Trump opponent. Following the widespread protests against racial injustice across the U.S., the Alaskan senator has - in a rare move among GOP members of Congress - publicly said that she was "struggling" to back Trump in the upcoming election.
Also featured in the top 10 of least popular senators is former 2020 presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren with a 40 percent disapproval rating (rank 9). Even though their positions could be described as similar, her former competitor Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) can be found on the other end of the ranking: He is the most popular U.S. senator with a 65 percent approval rating.
Among the ten most popular senators in the U.S. were four Democrats, four Republicans and two independents. Two of the senators hailed from Vermont and Wyoming each. Among the least popular Senators there were eight Republicans, two Democrats and six women, compared to only one woman, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), among the ten most popular. Two of the least popular senators, McConnell and Rand Paul, hail from Kentucky.
