Smith's approval rating drops to 38 per cent in national premier-popularity rankings

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeLocal NewsPolitics Smith's approval rating drops to 38 per cent in national premier-popularity rankings A new poll released by Angus Reid shows Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has an approval rating of 38 per cent Author of the article: By Steven Sandor Published Sep 16, 2026 Last updated 2 minutes ago 3 minute read Join the conversation Alberta Premier Danielle Smith speaks during Alberta Day celebrations at Heritage Park in Calgary on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. PHOTO BY DARREN MAKOWICHUK /Postmedia Article content When it comes to the popularity of the 10 provincial premiers, there is Manitoba’s Wab Kinew, and then there is everybody else. Article content A new poll released by Angus Reid shows Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has an approval rating of 38 per cent, down a percentage point from Angus Reid’s previous survey. Angus Reid considers the drop statistically insignificant. Article content Article content Now, 38 per cent is not great, but consider that nine of the 10 premiers had approval ratings lower than 50 per cent. Only Kinew had a positive approval rating, at 63 per cent. His Instagram account is closing in on 600,000 followers, and his always-smiling, stress-the-positives approach is far different than his counterparts across the country. Article content Article content Article content While Smith dropped a percentage point, a big bump in popularity went to Ontario Premier Doug Ford. He surged 10 percentage points. His wars of words with U.S. President Donald Trump in relation to the current tariff war certainly has shed him in a more positive light with Canadians who want to see this country take a stand when it comes to U.S. trade policy. But, take Ford’s bump with a Dead Sea-sized portion of salt; even with the rise, his popularity is at 31 per cent — still in last place amongst all the premiers. Article content Headline News Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content B.C. Premier David Eby, who has also talked tough on trade, also got a boost of 10 percentage points, taking him to 41 per cent, slightly above Smith. Article content In their report, the Angus Reid pollsters said that Smith’s 38 per cent approval rating is a product of her needing to…