Gov. Tina Kotek is not exactly a carbon copy of her liberal predecessor, Kate Brown.

Kotek is just as progressive as her fellow Democrat, perhaps going even further. However, Kotek is much more of a hands-on governor, dissecting and discussing the innards of legislation and public policy.

So far, she has kept her campaign promises – traveling the state and focusing on her core issues of housing and homelessness, behavioral health and substance abuse treatment, and schools and early learning.

The East Oregonian newspaper recently editorialized: “Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek didn’t secure a groundswell of support in Eastern Oregon when she ran for the office, and while that was to be expected her recent willingness to journey into our region deserves at least some credit from even the most die-hard, right-wing advocates. …

“In a conservation enclave such as Eastern Oregon, it is a hard sell for a Democrat — much less one who subscribes to many liberal ideals — to gain any traction, but Kotek is at least trying.”

Kotek at times has rebuffed fellow progressives. She delayed the start of freeway tolling. Despite pleas from the liberal Oregon Center for Public Policy, last month she signed SB 498, which lessens the estate tax on natural resource properties that are inherited. On Friday, Oregonians will learn whether she vetoes legislation to study creation of a state bank and to examine Oregon’s sex trade and the possibility of decriminalizing prostitution.

She gained landmark legislation that benefits homelessness programs, childcare, education, the semiconductor industry and other areas. There also have been lapses and failures: Data breaches at the DMV and Oregon Health Plan. Management turmoil. Executive appointments that appear inadequately vetted. The governor’s inability to negotiate an end to the Republican senators’ walkout. Last-minute legislative failure of a controversial land-use proposal. The La Mota and OLCC fiascoes. Ongoing bad news surrounding Portland, the city that drives Oregon.

Still, I find it a bit baffling that Kotek, like Brown before her, ranks among America’s least-popular governors.

In the Morning Consult poll released last week, Kotek had the lowest approval rating of governors. Merely 45% of Oregon voters approved of her job performance. However, that is a 3 percentage point increase from Morning Consult’s April rankings – and an improvement from the Feb. 24-March 1 survey by Portland-based DHM Research that found only 39% of Oregonians viewed Kotek positively.

The Oregon Republican Party jumped on the latest Morning Consult ranking to launch a fundraising appeal: “We have had the displeasure of having the worst governor in America for the second time now. … It’s obvious that Oregon voters are tired of the progressive agenda ruining our state. … The Oregon Republican Party is doing everything we can to prevent Tina Kotek and her radical ideas from further destroying our state.”

Days earlier, the Democratic Governors Association had featured Kotek in its own fundraising appeal, quoting her as saying: “Democratic governors are fielding far-right attacks from every direction: the courts, conservative-majority state legislatures, and GOP governors who want to limit the rights of not only their constituents, but folks across the country.

“Meanwhile, my Democratic colleagues and I are fighting to protect abortion rights, access to the ballot box, and so much more. I’ve made it my mission to help Oregonians everywhere – signing multiple executive orders to give families a safety net that will help prevent them from becoming homeless, building a budget that includes millions dedicated to preventing gun violence in our communities, and working to safeguard access to reproductive health care across our state.”

There is no question that the partisan divide has widened within Oregon and across America, and continues to grow. But partisanship is insufficient to explain Kotek’s dismal ranking. The next lowest approval ratings were Govs. Katie Hobbs, D-Arizona, at 47% and Tate Reeves, R-Mississippi, at 48%.

The most popular governor remained Phil Scott, R-Vermont, with 76% approval. Following him were Mark Gordon, R-Wyoming, 69%, and three governors at 64% — Josh Green, D-Hawaii; Chris Sununu, R-New Hampshire; and Andy Beshear, D-Kentucky.

Morning Consult ranked the most disliked governors as Tony Evers, D-Wisconsin, 44% disapproval rating, and Jay Inslee, D-Washington, 43% disapproval. Kotek’s disapproval rating was 39%.

After Kotek ceremonially signed a series of education bills on Wednesday, I asked the governor what she thought had gone well during her six months-plus in office, what she would do differently and what remained as the greatest challenges.

She responded: “That might be a longer conversation, but here’s what I will say.

“I think what is going well is Oregonians are coming together to solve problems. I truly mean that. Despite the challenges in the Legislature, the session was finished and what you saw today was the product of a lot of hard work from Oregonians across the state to improve our education system and to make sure our early learning system is stronger.

“That comes through partnership. And I think across the board what I’ve been so excited about in my first six months [is] seeing all Oregonians stepping up to the plate to solve problems together. Absolutely true.

“And I want to see that continue and I’m going to do everything I can to support that, promote that, foster that. No one person has the answer to the challenges facing our state, but if we all come together and work on it, we will make progress – as we are today and what we’re going to see in the months ahead.

“But I’d be happy to have a longer conversation about [her] six months’ reflections. As y’all know about me, I’m too busy doing the work to think about it too much.”

Stay tuned.