TRENTON — When responding to criticism about his policy positions, Gov. Chris Christie likes to point to Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in his defense. Christie has said Cuomo is following in his footsteps in reducing the budget, cutting taxes and addressing employee benefits. But Cuomo, who was elected last year and just wrapped up his state's budget,...
A new poll finds N.J. Gov. Christie, left, is not as popular in his home state as N.Y. Gov. Cuomo.TRENTON — When responding to criticism about his policy positions, Gov. Chris Christie likes to point to Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in his defense.
Christie has said Cuomo is following in his footsteps in reducing the budget, cutting taxes and addressing employee benefits.
But Cuomo, who was elected last year and just wrapped up his state's budget, is more popular in his home state than Christie is in New Jersey, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.
"New Jersey Gov. Christopher Christie may be getting the national attention, but the guy next door is doing better with home state voters," pollster Maurice Carrol said in a news release. "We'll see how Christie does as he wages the budget battle of Trenton."
Quinnipiac, which regularly polls approval numbers in six states, found 64 percent of New York voters approve of the job Cuomo is doing as governor. The same polling group found that Christie has a 52 percent approval rate.
Cuomo has the highest approval of the six states Quinnipiac tracks, which also include Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Florida and Ohio. Christie is second.
"While Cuomo and Christie both have a reputation as hard-chargers, New Yorkers think their guy won his budget battle mostly on the merits," Carroll added. "Some voters cite intimidation, possibly because of Cuomo's threat to force reform through a series of short-term budget extensions, and a few even credit charm. Whatever; it worked."
Read the Quinnipiac University poll.
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