Poll finds a third of N.J. voters glad Christie is back

New Jersey voters are divided in their opinions on the potential impact of Gov. Chris Christie’s return to governing the state full time after abandoning his presidential hopes.

 

Ashley Koning, assistant director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling, said 36 percent of voters believe Christie’s presence will benefit the state while 27 percent believe it will have a negative influence.

“Voters know where they are with Gov. Christie right now, but they’re not too sure of what this next two years might bring,” she said. “I think voters also know a lot of times — whether you love him or hate him — the governor does get things done when he’s in the state.”

The majority of residents have a negative assessment of the job Christie is doing, but Koning said his ratings are up from record lows.

“None of the approvals reached the 50 percent mark, and they haven’t for a long time now, but we do see Republicans and especially independents are a bit more likely than they were in December to say that they approve of the governor on things like the state pension, taxes, and the state budget,” she said.

About a third of voters say New Jersey is heading in the right direction, while 57 percent say it’s on the wrong track.