Christie slips in polling over Sandy recovery efforts

A new Rutgers-Eagleton poll shows that Gov. Chris Christie is taking a big hit on his Sandy recovery ratings.

Just over half of the New Jersey voters now approve of Christie’s efforts on Sandy, said David Redlawsk, poll director. That’s down 26 points from 80 percent in November.

“This tremendous drop is probably related to both the ‘Bridgegate’ situation opening up the governor for criticism and the recent allegations regarding the allocation of Sandy funds,” he said.

And 45 percent of voters surveyed believe the Christie administration withheld Sandy aid from some mayors in retaliation for not receiving their re-election support, Redlawsk said. Forty-one percent think the allegations are false.

Even with the decline in his Sandy ratings, the poll shows Christie’s overall job approval rating remains stable at 55 percent.

Three quarters of voters surveyed do not believe the governor should resign because of the recent scandals.