BOSTON — Governor Maura Healey has been named one of America’s ten most popular governors. But back home, plenty of Massachusetts residents are still wondering what exactly she’s popular for — sky-high energy bills, a sluggish economy, or the growing list of people packing up and leaving the state.

The new Morning Consult poll gave Healey a 59 percent approval rating, enough to land her in the national top ten. It’s a flattering number for a governor facing serious headwinds: high costs, slow growth, and a state that’s becoming harder and harder to afford.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Shortsleeve told Mass Daily News the glossy approval numbers don’t match reality. “Maura Healey made Massachusetts the most expensive state to raise a family, gave us the lowest rate of job growth and the second highest electricity costs in the entire nation,” he said, adding that “economists warn that the Commonwealth is in or very near a recession.” Shortsleeve called it “not a winning record” and said it’s “why Healey will lose next November.”

His campaign strategist, Holly Robichaud, was even blunter. “Even Maura Healey knows she is in trouble for re-election,” she said. “That's why she is trying to mislead voters with her latest so-called study on electrical rates. Due to lack of common sense leadership, Healey has turned the State House into a house of horrors that will haunt her through November 2026.”

The Mike Kennealy campaign also isn’t buying the poll. Senior advisor Brian Wynne said “polls that rely solely on opt-in-only-online-panels — for example UMass Amherst, MassINC, and Morning Consult — are notoriously unreliable in Massachusetts.” He explained that “the respondents that self-select into taking these surveys, usually in exchange for compensation, are not representative of the electorate that votes in a midterm election.”

To her critics, the “Top 10 Governor” label is just another headline that sounds good until you open your next bill. They argue Healey’s popularity has more to do with perception than performance — the kind of political glow that fades fast once voters start paying attention to their wallets.

Mass Daily News also reached out to Mike Minogue, who has declared his candidacy for governor, but did not hear back before publication.

For now, Healey can claim a spot among America’s favorites. But as more residents question what’s actually improving under her watch, the governor’s best number might be one that only exists on paper.