Sarah Huckabee Sanders has lowest approval rating of any Arkansas governor in 20 years

Arkansas Republican Governor and former Trump White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has just a 48% approval rating among her constituents in a new poll, making her the state's least popular governor over the last two decades.

Respondents of the 25th annual Arkansas Poll — which queries residents on their approval of both elected officials and major issues like the economy, public education, and health — notably registered their dissatisfaction with Sanders' administration while she's in the midst of a corruption probe. CBS affiliate THV 11 reported that Sanders' approval rating among Arkansans is far below that of former Arkansas governors Asa Hutchinson, Mike Beebe, and her father, Mike Huckabee, who each polled at 57%, 70%, and 66%, respectively, in the first years of their administrations.

"A volatile economic and political environment is likely influencing some people’s general sense of well-being, in Arkansas and elsewhere," Arkansas Poll director Janine Parry said.

POLL: Should Trump be allowed to hold office again?

As low as Sanders polled, she slightly outperformed other Arkansas elected officials including Republican Senators Tom Cotton — who polled at just 42% — and John Boozman, who only recorded 40% approval among respondents. President Joe Biden polled even lower, with just 33% of respondents approving of his performance.

The survey, which polled a sample of 801 Arkansas residents by cellphone and landline phone between October 4 and October 22, found that respondents were most satisfied with police, public libraries, and public parks. However, there were high levels of dissatisfaction among poll takers regarding the state of Arkansas' K-12 public schools (47% disapproval) and Arkansas' welfare system (53% disapproval).

Sanders' administration is currently in the midst of an investigation by an Arkansas legislative committee regarding her office's purchase of a lectern for roughly $19,000 with taxpayer money. In September, an anonymous whistleblower came forward and accused Gov. Sanders' staff of improperly altering and withholding public records relating to the purchase. While the Arkansas Republican Party has since reimbursed the state for the expense, it only did so in August, nearly three months after the initial sale of the lectern in June.

Purchase of the lectern only became known after an Arkansas-based journalist filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. Sanders subsequently declared a special legislative session to revise Arkansas' FOIA laws.