Residents cool on NJ political leaders, poll finds

Daniel J. Munoz//April 9, 2019//

Residents cool on NJ political leaders, poll finds

Daniel J. Munoz//April 9, 2019//

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The majority of New Jersey residents hold lackluster opinions about current and former political leaders representing the state, according to the inaugural joint-poll, released Tuesday, from the Rutgers University Eagleton Institute of Politics and Fairleigh Dickinson University Poll.

Neither Gov. Phil Murphy or U.S. Sens. Robert Menendez or Cory Booker scored greater than 50 percent approval rating among the respondents, according to the poll, which interviewed 1,203 New Jersey adults between March 7 and 21.

Booker was the most popular with a 46 percent approval rating while Murphy was runner-up with 43 percent approval, the poll found. Menendez, having just barely survived a bitter reelection campaign where he was hounded for his corruption trial, came in with just a 21 percent approval rating.

As for Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-3rd District and the state Legislature’s top elected official, most voters have never heard of the Gloucester County Democrat, leading to a 13 percent approval rating, the poll found. 

“These are solidly Democratic politicians who represent a solidly Democratic state. And yet, none of them appear to be wowing the crowds,” said Krista Jenkins, Director of the FDU Poll. “But they’re doing far better than two marquee Republicans.”

The disapproval rating was 63 percent for former-Gov. Chris Christie and 59 percent for U.S. President Donald Trump, both Republicans. 

“Chris Christie’s recent book tour has done little to help him with New Jerseyans, who still have a bitter taste in their mouths from Christie’s last years as governor,” added Ashley Koning, director of the Eagleton polling institute. “Even President Trump fares better than Christie does in his home state, both overall and among the party base – despite playing a notable part in the Republican governor’s unpopularity.”

The poll has a margin of error of +/-3.7 percentage points.