Voters Increasingly Prefer Governors for President

Back in 1987, 66 percent of poll respondents said experience as a member of Congress provided better preparation for the presidency while 22 percent said serving as a governor was better preparation.

But today, the percentage of voters who think experience as a governor is better preparation has doubled to 44 percent, matching the percentage of those who believe Congress is better preparation, a new poll by the Pew Research Center reveals.

A slight majority of Republicans, 51 percent, say serving as a governor is better preparation, compared to 40 percent for Congress. Among Democrats, 55 percent prefer Congress and 35 percent prefer a governorship. Independents are about evenly split.

The reason for the switch could be found in the response to another Pew poll question indicating the growing dissatisfaction with Congress. Thirty percent of respondents say they would be less likely to support a candidate with "many years" of experience as an elected official in Washington, while just 19 percent would be more likely.

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