Maureen Groppe

USA TODAY

Gov. Mike Pence's popularity in Indiana has not increased since he became Donald Trump’s running mate, a new online poll indicates.

Pence’s net approval rating has dropped 9 percentage points since the first quarter of the year, according to weekly polls of registered voters conducted by Morning Consult from mid-May to mid-September.

Pence joined the GOP ticket in July.

As many Hoosiers now disapprove of Pence’s performance as approve: 45%.

Only 10 governors have a higher disapproval rating than the Republican vice presidential nominee, according to Morning Consult, a media and technology company.

The company's polls in the first quarter showed Pence's approval rating at 48%, while 39% disapproved of his performance.

“Gov. Mike Pence has been extremely busy on the campaign trail since joining Donald Trump at the top of the Republican presidential ticket, and his absence at home hasn’t gone unnoticed by Indiana voters,” wrote Cameron Easley, managing editor for Morning Consult.

Pence’s gubernatorial spokeswoman referred questions to his campaign spokesman, who did not immediately respond.

Indiana Democratic Party spokesman Drew Anderson said the numbers reflect both Pence’s gubernatorial record as well as his “teaming up with one of the most toxic presidential candidates in modern history.”

The polls have a margin of error of 2 percentage points.

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A WTHR/Howey Politics poll taken at the beginning of September found Pence had become more popular with Republicans in Indiana and more disliked by Democrats since becoming Trump’s running mate. That poll indicated Pence does not help or hurt Trump’s chances of carrying Indiana in November, which he is expected to do.

Many voters nationally are still forming an opinion of Pence, according to a national poll taken by Morning Consult at the end of last week. About a third had no opinion of him. Of those who did, voters were nearly evenly split between viewing him positively (34%) and negatively (33%).

That could change after Pence and Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine square off in their Oct. 4 debate.

About 28% of those polled nationally had a favorable view of Kaine compared with 31% who had an unfavorable view.

In Virginia, which Kaine has represented in the Senate since 2013, 54% view him favorably compared with 26% who disapprove of his job performance.

Kaine’s senatorial approval rating ranks in the middle among his colleagues.