Poll: Pelosi retakes Speaker’s gavel with popularity on the upswing

In August, at the height of her unpopularity since Morning Consult/Politico began tracking her favorability, she was 29 points underwater, with 53 percent of all voters viewing her unfavorably.

But since House Democrats took back control of the chamber with a 40-seat gain in the November midterm elections, views among Democrats and independents have improved. The latest survey showed 59 percent of Democrats viewing her favorably, up 13 points since August, and her popularity among independents was up 8 points, to 22 percent.

The improvement was enough to put her ahead of retiring House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), who finished his tenure in Capitol Hill’s top job 16 points underwater, with 28 percent of all voters — including 51 percent of Republicans — viewing him positively and 44 percent negatively.