TRENTON, N.J. – FDU and Eagleton have teamed up for a new poll, and the results show Governor Phil Murphy’s approval rating climbing along with his disapproval rating.
His new rating: 52% approve, 43% disapprove… a net approval rating of 9%.
_
In October, FDU pegged Murphy at 49% approve, 31% disapprove, a net approval rating of 18%.
It was a similar story with Eagleton’s November results: Murphy was at 43% approve, 28% disapprove, for a net approval rating for 15%.
“These numbers are similar to both of his most recent predecessors, Governors Chris Christie and Jon Corzine at a similar time in their administrations. One went on to a second term, while the other was defeated two years later,” opined FDU polling director Krista Jenkins in a statement.
Other key findings in this joint poll of residents (not necessarily likely voters):
- Residents broadly approve of the concept of a millionaire’s tax
- They aren’t high on Murphy’s budget performance thus far
- Curiously, notwithstanding widespread public outrage this past winter over the #SnowMess and over-brining, his approval rating on handling weather emergencies is in positive territory, a finding which in of itself will cause many to question the pollsters’ global findings
Click here for the full results.
Monmouth Polling found a significantly different story in February ’19 when Murphy’s 43%-40% approval rating was noted as being worse than Christie’s and Corzine’s respective ratings at the same time in their own tenures.
Murphy won’t face reelection until 2021. Unfortunately for Assembly Democrat incumbents facing the voters in 2019, many of the most competitive districts on the November ballot are located in jurisdictions carried by President Trump, Bob Hugin, or even Kim Guadagno in recent cycles; presumably, given his rising disapproval rating, the Democrat Governor’s popularity in those regions (including the 1st Legislative District in deep South Jersey) is measurably worse than it is state-wide.
_
