Gov. Chris Christie continues to get positive ratings, with a slim majority of Garden State voters approving of his performance
TRENTON — New Jersey voters are more optimistic than pessimistic about the direction the state is going in for the first time in seven years, according to a poll released this morning.
Meanwhile, Gov. Chris Christie continues to get positive ratings, with a slim majority of Garden State voters approving of his performance.
The Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind poll found 46 percent of voters say the state is moving in the “right direction,” while 43 percent said it’s on the “wrong track.”
“Statistically speaking we could say that 46-43 is an even split,” said poll director Peter Woolley. “But I think it would be fairer to New Jersey to say it’s a milestone.”
The last time that number was on the positive side was 2004, when 42 percent felt the state was headed in the right direction and 41 percent felt it was on the wrong track.
Fifty-one percent of voters approve of Christie, while 36 percent disapprove.
But the poll cautions the Republican governor’s popularity probably won’t translate into victory in the Nov. 8 election, when all 120 seats in the state Legislature are up. Just 44 percent of voters have a “great deal” of interest in the upcoming election. Forty-percent of voters want Democrats to maintain control of both houses, while 34 percent would like to see them turned over to Republicans.
“Legislative races turn more on the visibility, likability and party affiliation of the candidates, than on statewide issues,” said Woolley. “The best even a popular governor can do, is raise money for his party, and raise the profile of local candidates.”
Fairleigh Dickinson surveyed 800 registered voters From Oct. 17 – Oct. 23, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
Related coverage:
• Poll: Unemployment and taxes top list of N.J. residents' concerns