Approval ratings have dropped for senators in several states who voted earlier this month against bolstering background checks for gun buyers, reports the Huffington Post. New polls released Monday by Public Policy Polling showed that Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s (R-Alaska) net approval rating had dropped 16 points, as she shed much of her previous cross-party appeal. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) saw his numbers dive 18 points, from a positive to a negative rating. Fifty-two percent of Arizona voters said they were less likely to support Sen. Jeff Flake (R) for re-election due to his “no” vote, while 46 percent of Nevadans said the same of Sen. Dean Heller (R).
Not all of the change can be attributed to the vote. Portman, for instance, lost support among Republicans when he announced his support for gay marriage in March. But in Alaska, Arizona, Nevada and Ohio, at least 60 percent of voters supported background checks, and many expressed disappointment with politicians who voted otherwise. A previous poll found that Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) saw her ratings decline 15 points, likely due in part to her vote against background checks.