State attachment and gubernatorial approval

Objective The purpose of this article is to examine what drives individual attitudes toward their governor with a focus on the role of place attachment as a means of diffuse support. Methods Using original surveys from March and May 2020, we test the role of place attachment in explaining gubernatorial approval. Results We find state or place attachment is a strong predictor of gubernatorial approval especially among individuals who live in a state with a governor from the other party. Conclusion State attachment can be an important and unique influence on political attitudes toward state politics.