Christie sinks in N.J. voters’ estimation with just 18 percent approving his job performance

As he enters the final year of his term, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie won’t be winning any popularity contests.

His job approval rating is at a record low among voters surveyed, according to Fairleigh Dickinson University Public Mind Poll director Krista Jenkins.

“Eighteen percent is where the governor is in his approval rating, which is the lowest we’ve recorded since polling on New Jersey governors for almost 15 years,” Jenkins said. “It remains to be seen whether we’ve seen either the ceiling on the governor’s disapprovals or the floor in his approvals while in office.”

Most voters surveyed don’t believe Christie’s claims of not knowing what his underlings were up to when some access lanes to the George Washington Bridge were closed in 2013 in what prosecutors said was retaliation against Fort Lee’s mayor for not endorsing the governor’s re-election.

And most of his constituents believe Christie should have been a defendant in the Bridgegate trial, she said.

“Only 23 percent said they thought the trial was a success because only those responsible for the lane closures on the George Washington Bridge were convicted,” Jenkins said. “Eighty-two percent said they believed others should have been tried. And a full 71 percent believe the governor should have been sitting with his former aides Bill Baroni and Bridget Anne Kelly.”

Even a majority of Republicans surveyed no longer support Christie, with 52 percent now disapproving of his leadership.