Things just keep getting worse for Gov. Christie. A new Monmouth University Poll shows his overall job approval rating is 35 percent approve to 54 percent who don’t among state residents. Among N.J. registered voters, 56 percent disapprove to 35 percent who approve. It was 70 percent approval in February, 2013. “Christie’s overwhelmingly positive ratings in the aftermath of Sandy have now been sliced in half,” said
Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute. “Christie’s ratings had stabilized after the initial Bridgegate revelations early last year. They started to erode again last fall, but these post-indictment numbers mark a significant acceleration in that decline.”
Last week, the U.S. Attorney’s office unsealed indictments against three former Christie associates in the Bridgegate scheme regarding a traffic tie-up at the George Washington Bridge, including a guilty plea from David Wildstein, who Christie appointed to a newly created job at the NY/NJ Port Authority. Only 1-in-10 New Jerseyans (9 percent) believe the three people charged (Wildstein, Bridget Ann Kelly and Bill Baroni) were the only individuals responsible for the decision to close the lanes.
The Monmouth University Poll also found that only 30 percent of New Jerseyans now have a favorable opinion of Christie as a person — 47 percent have an unfavorable view. Another 23 percent have no opinion.
“When you are running for president, your home state record is often less important than what kind of person voters think you are. These numbers are not encouraging for someone with aspirations to the White House,” said Murray.
Almost half — 49 percent — of New Jerseyans believe the alleged reason for the lanes closings was politics as usual in the Christie administration.
Christie has said from the time Bridgegate hit the media that he played no role in the closings or knew about it as it was happening. Murray said, “Most New Jerseyans don’t buy it.” Wildstein’s attorney says “evidence exists” Christie knew about the lanes closing at the time.
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