Dayton Holds Highest Ever Approval Rating As Term Comes To An End

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Gov. Mark Dayton is entering the final stage of his eight years in office with his highest ever approval rating.

The Star Tribune reports that 62 percent of voters approved of the Democratic governor's job performance. It's his highest rating since Dayton took office in 2011, and also exceeds his previous ratings during a single term in the U.S. Senate from 2000 to 2006.

The positive polling may give Dayton an extra boost as he pushes for a drastically different vision of Minnesota's future than Republicans who control the Legislature. The two sides have to work out a budget deal by late May.

The poll of 800 registered Minnesota voters was taken April 24-26. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.