The good news just keeps coming for Chris Christie one week after his reelection announcement…
New polling results out this morning from Monmouth U., Save Jerseyans (h/t Patrick Murray):
Currently, Governor Christie earns a 67% approve to 21% disapprove job rating among all Garden State residents. Among registered voters, his rating stands at 69% approve to 22% disapprove. In September, his job approval rating was in the mid-50s for both groups.
The 85% of Republicans who give the governor a “thumbs up” are joined by 68% of independents and 57% of Democrats. Prior to this poll, Christie had never broken the 40%-mark among Garden State Democrats. The current results show no evidence of a gender gap which was apparent in past polls – 68% of men and 66% of women approve of the governor’s job performance. Christie also gets positive ratings from a majority (52%) of public worker households – the first time this has happened during his tenure.
Now that Gov. Christie has officially thrown his hat into the ring for 2013, fully 6-in-10 (61%) registered voters say that the incumbent deserves a second term, up from 50% in a September poll. By a 2 to 1 margin, residents say that the governor is more focused on governing the state of New Jersey (61%) than he is with his own political future (30%). This is a reversal from February of this year, when more residents said the governor put his own concerns (48%) before the state’s (39%).
61% also believe Christie’s interactions with President Obama have been a net positive for New Jersey; only 3% say “no.”
This is fascinating stuff for political nerds like yours truly. While national GOP angst towards Christie might be very real, New Jerseyans have never been more bullish about their current governor. It’s likely no coincidence that New Jersey and New York, the states hardest hit by Hurricane Sandy, are also the only two states where President Obama increased his popular vote margin over 2008.
Is it any wonder the only candidate willing to stick his or her neck out at this point in the process is a long-shot like state Senator Buono?
Click here for Patrick Murray’s full polling report, data tables, etc. and so on.
