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Christie Rating At Record Low

New Jersey

Trump endorsement seen as attempt to get a DC job

West Long Branch, NJ  – In case you didn’t know it already, New Jersey’s governor is really unpopular at home.  The latest Monmouth University Poll finds Chris Christie’s job rating at an all-time low – even worse than the negative ratings earned by the state legislature.  By a 2-to-1 margin, residents think the state is worse off for Christie’s time in office and the vast majority believe he endorsed Donald Trump primarily in the hope of getting a federal appointment.

Currently, just 27% of New Jersey adults approve of the job Christie is doing as governor while 63% disapprove.  Among registered voters specifically, his rating is 26% approve and 65% disapprove.  These ratings reflect a record low for the governor.  Moreover, for the first time in Christie’s six-plus years in office, the state legislature actually enjoys a relatively better rating – 30% approve and 49% disapprove among all residents; 29% approve and 53% disapprove among voters.

“It’s really saying something when the legislature, which rarely manages to get its rating above water, is seen as more effective than the governor,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute.

For the record, Christie does manage to eke out a net positive rating among his fellow Republicans (51% approve and 41% disapprove).  This is more than offset, however, by dismal ratings from independents (23% approve and 65% disapprove) and Democrats (17% approve and 76% disapprove).

The poll found that twice as many New Jerseyans say that the state is currently worse off (41%) because of Christie’s time as governor than say it is better off (21%).  Another 34% say the state is in about the same condition as when he took office from the somewhat more popular Jon Corzine, whose approval rating was in the mid to upper 30s when Christie defeated him in 2009.

Nearly 8-in-10 Garden State residents (79%) say Christie is more concerned with his own political future than he is with governing the state (13%) – marking the highest level of public skepticism about Christie’s public service commitment in more than four years of asking this question.  In fact, the vast majority of New Jerseyans (68%) say the main reason that Christie threw his presidential endorsement to “The Donald” shortly after ending his own presidential bid was his desire to get some type of appointment in the Trump administration.  Another 9% say this consideration was a minor reason for Christie’s endorsement, and just 15% say that getting a job in D.C. was the furthest thing from Christie’s mind when he decided to back Trump.

“Despite his statements to the contrary, the vast majority of New Jerseyans seem to believe that Christie’s main concern right now is figuring how to get out of the state as soon as possible,” said Murray.

The Monmouth University Poll  also asked residents to rate the job being done by Barack Obama and the state’s two U.S. senators.  All three get significantly more public opinion “love” than Christie.  Obama’s rating now stands at 56% approve and 39% disapprove among all adults and 53% approve and 41% disapprove among registered voters.  These numbers are somewhat more positive than they were a year ago.

The state’s junior senator, Cory Booker, earns a 49% approve and 21% disapprove rating among all residents and a 53% approve and 21% disapprove rating among voters.  The state’s senior senator, Bob Menendez, who is currently under indictment, earns a 40% approve and 29% disapprove rating from all adults and a 41% approve and 31% disapprove rating from registered voters.

The poll also found that just over 6-in-10 state residents give New Jersey a positive rating as a place to live – 16% excellent and 46% good.  This is a slight uptick from July of last year, when positive ratings stood at 55%, but is in line with positive ratings in the low 60s measured over the two years prior to that.

The Monmouth University Poll  was conducted by telephone with 806 New Jersey adults, including 703 registered voters, from May 23 to 27, 2016.  The total sample has a margin of error of ±  3.5 percent and the registered voter sample has a margin of error of ±  3.7 percent.  The poll was conducted by the Monmouth University Polling Institute in West Long Branch, NJ.

DATA TABLES

The questions referred to in this release are as follows:

(* Some columns may not add to 100% due to rounding.)

1.Overall, how would you rate New Jersey as a place to live – excellent, good, only fair, or poor?

TREND:Excellent/
Good

Excellent

Good

Only Fair

Poor
(VOL) Don’t
know

(n)
May 201662%16%46%28%10%0%(806)
July 201555%12%43%30%15%0%(503)
May 201563%13%50%27%10%1%(500)
February 201563%15%48%25%11%1%(805)
September  201461%13%48%25%13%1%(802)
June 201462%15%47%26%11%0%(800)
April 201464%15%49%26%10%0%(803)
February 201463%15%48%26%11%0%(803)
December 201365%20%45%26%9%0%(802)
September 201365%19%46%25%10%1%(783)
April 201361%15%46%27%11%0%(806)
February 201368%18%50%24%7%1%(803)
December 201272%20%52%21%5%1%(816)
September 201265%15%50%23%11%0%(805)
July 201269%17%52%23%8%0%(803)
April 201270%20%50%23%7%0%(804)
February 201262%15%47%26%11%1%(803)
October 201167%15%52%24%8%0%(817)
August 201157%14%43%31%11%1%(802)
May 201159%14%45%29%11%0%(807)
December 201063%17%46%26%10%1%(2864)
October 200763%17%46%25%12%1%(1001)
August 200468%22%46%21%10%1%(800)
May 200372%20%52%23%5%0%(1002)
April 200176%23%53%19%4%1%(802)
March 200076%25%51%17%6%0%(800)
May 199976%22%54%19%5%0%(800)
February 199471%18%53%22%7%0%(801)
March 199068%21%47%25%6%1%(800)
February 198878%27%51%17%4%1%(800)
February 198784%31%53%11%4%0%(800)
May 198581%29%52%14%3%1%(500)
October 198480%29%51%15%4%1%(1000)
January 198166%16%50%26%7%1%(1003)
July 198068%18%50%23%7%2%(1005)

[ Q2-5 previously released. ]

6.Do you approve or disapprove of the job Chris Christie is doing as governor?

 TOTALREGISTERED VOTERPARTY ID
YesNoRepIndDem
Approve27%26%28%51%23%17% 
Disapprove63%65%51%41%65%76% 
(VOL) Don’t know10%8%21%9%12%7% 
TREND: All adults
Second term

May  2016

July 2015

May 2015

Feb. 2015

Sept. 2014

June 2014

April 2014

Feb. 2014

Jan. 2014

Dec. 2013

Sept. 2013

April 2013

Feb. 2013
Approve27%36%35%48%46%50%51%50%59%65%61%63%70%
Disapprove63%58%54%44%39%42%41%44%32%25%24%26%17%
(VOL) Don’t know10%6%11%8%15%9%8%6%8%10%15%11%14%
Unwtd N806503500805802800803803541802783806803
TREND: All adults
First term
Dec. 2012Sept. 2012July 2012April 2012Feb. 2012Oct. 2011Aug. 2011May 2011Feb. 2011Sept. 2010July 2010April 2010Feb. 2010
Approve67%53%52%51%52%54%48%47%47%45%44%41%33%
Disapprove21%35%36%35%38%38%42%49%40%38%44%44%15%
(VOL) Don’t know12%11%12%14%10%9%9%5%12%17%12%15%52%
Unwtd N816805803804803817802807801801801804803
TREND: Registered voters
Second term
May 2016July. 2015May. 2015Feb. 2015Sept. 2014June 2014April 2014Feb. 2014Jan. 2014Dec. 2013Sept. 2013April 2013Feb. 2013
Approve26%34%35%47%46%49%51%49%58%65%63%65%70%
Disapprove65%60%56%46%42%43%43%46%35%27%24%26%16%
(VOL) Don’t know8%6%9%6%12%8%6%6%7%8%13%10%13%
Unwtd N703453441712680717690690470698674694697
TREND: Registered voters
First term
Dec. 2012Sept. 2012July 2012April 2012Feb. 2012Oct.  2011Aug. 2011May 2011Feb. 2011Sept.  2010July 2010April 2010Feb. 2010
Approve69%55%53%50%55%55%50%46%49%44%45%42%31%
Disapprove22%36%35%38%37%37%41%49%41%40%43%44%15%
(VOL) Don’t know9%10%12%12%9%8%8%5%9%16%12%13%53%
Unwtd N726715678692709693730725718726747719716

7.Do you approve or disapprove of the job the state legislature is doing?

 TOTALREGISTERED VOTERPARTY ID
  YesNoRepIndDem
Approve30%29%38%36%27%32%
Disapprove49%53%35%48%53%49%
(VOL) Don’t know20%19%27%16%21%19%
TREND:
Registered Voters
May 2016July 2015May 2015Feb. 2015Sept. 2014June 2014April 2014Feb. 2014Jan. 2014Dec. 2013Sept. 2013April 2013Feb. 2013Dec. 2012Sept. 2012July 2012
Approve29%32%33%37%35%36%38%38%47%44%38%41%40%43%32%34%
Disapprove53%51%48%46%46%48%46%47%35%38%36%42%35%34%43%45%
(VOL) Don’t know19%17%19%17%19%17%15%14%18%19%27%17%25%22%25%21%
Unwtd N703453441712680717690690470698674694697726715678
TREND: Registered
Voters Continued
April 2012Feb. 2012Oct. 2011Aug. 2011May 2011Feb. 2011July 2010April 2010Feb. 2010July 2009Feb. 2009Sept. 2008July 2008April 2008March 2008Oct. 2007Feb. 2007
Approve37%34%33%35%32%29%25%19%24%31%23%29%27%28%25%32%34%
Disapprove41%42%45%48%48%45%49%57%49%48%55%50%47%55%53%43%42%
(VOL) Don’t know23%24%22%17%20%26%26%24%27%22%22%21%26%17%22%25%23%
Unwtd N692709693730725718747719716792721709889720719688681

8.Do you approve or disapprove of the job Barack Obama is doing as president?

 TOTALREGISTERED VOTERPARTY ID
  YesNoRepIndDem
Approve56%53%67%19%47%86%
Disapprove39%41%27%79%43%12%
(VOL) Don’t know6%6%6%2%10%2%
TREND: Registered Voters
Second Term
May  2016July 2015May 2015Feb. 2015Sept. 2014June 2014April 2014Feb. 2014Jan. 2014Dec. 2013Sept. 2013April 2013Feb. 2013
Approve53%52%48%54%41%45%49%49%44%47%50%55%60%
Disapprove41%46%46%42%54%51%47%47%50%47%41%42%33%
(VOL) Don’t know6%3%6%4%5%4%3%5%6%6%8%2%7%
Unwtd N703453441712680717690690470698674694697
TREND: Registered voters
First Term
Dec. 2012April 2012Feb. 2012Oct. 2011Aug. 2011May 2011Sept. 2010July 2010April 2010Feb. 2010Oct. 2009July 2009
Approve58%54%51%47%52%60%47%51%54%53%54%59%
Disapprove35%41%42%46%39%36%44%42%41%38%33%29%
(VOL) Don’t know6%5%6%7%9%4%9%6%5%9%14%12%
Unwtd N726692709693730725726747719716785792

[ QUESTIONS 9 AND 10 WERE ROTATED ]

9.Do you approve or disapprove of the job Bob Menendez is doing as United States Senator?

 TOTALREGISTERED VOTERPARTY ID
  YesNoRepIndDem
Approve40%41%32%41%34%48%
Disapprove29%31%19%35%34%21%
(VOL) Don’t know31%28%49%24%32%31%
TREND:
Registered voters only
May 2016July 2015May 2015Feb. 2015Sept. 2014June 2014April 2014Feb. 2014Dec. 2013April 2013Feb. 2013April 2012Feb. 2012Oct. 2011Aug. 2011May 2011July 2010Oct. 2008April 2008Jan. 2008
Approve41%38%42%49%45%47%51%49%47%44%41%40%41%43%38%46%38%34%41%37%
Disapprove31%38%38%27%30%34%31%30%27%38%31%25%26%29%33%28%33%25%31%25%
(VOL) Don’t know28%23%20%24%26%19%18%21%26%18%28%35%33%28%29%26%29%41%28%37%
Unwtd N703453441712680717690690698694697692709693730725747900720698

10.Do you approve or disapprove of the job Cory Booker is doing as United States Senator?

 TOTALREGISTERED VOTERPARTY ID
  YesNoRepIndDem
Approve49%53%32%36%43%65%
Disapprove21%21%21%34%24%10%
(VOL) Don’t know30%27%47%30%33%25%
TREND:
Registered voters only
May 2016July 2015May 2015Feb. 2015Sept. 2014June 2014April 2014Feb. 2014Dec. 2013
Approve53%45%51%51%42%48%47%47%37%
Disapprove21%24%21%21%23%25%23%20%21%
(VOL) Don’t know27%31%27%27%35%27%30%32%43%
Unwtd N703453441712680717690690698

Turning back to New Jersey,

11.Do you think Chris Christie is more concerned with governing the state of New Jersey or more concerned about his own political future? [ CHOICES WERE ROTATED ]

 TOTALREGISTERED VOTERPARTY ID
YesNoRepIndDem
Governing the state of NJ13%13%13%23%12%8%
His own political future79%79%76%65%79%87%
(VOL) Both equally3%3%5%6%4%1%
(VOL) Don’t know5%5%7%6%4%4%
  TREND: May
2016
July
2015
May
2015
Feb.
2015
Sept.
2014
June
2014
April
2014
Feb.
2014
Jan.
2014
Sept.
2013
Dec.
2012
Feb.
2012
Governing the state of NJ13%17%16%25%33%32%35%35%42%44%61%39%
His own political future79%76%70%66%56%55%54%56%47%38%30%48%
(VOL) Both equally3%4%8%5%5%7%7%5%6%12%5%6%
(VOL) Don’t know5%4%6%4%7%6%4%4%5%6%4%7%
Unwtd N806503500805802800803803541783816803

12.Do you think New Jersey is currently better off or worse off because of Christie’s time as governor, or is it about the same as it was before he took office?

 TOTALREGISTERED VOTERPARTY ID
 YesNoRepIndDem
Better off21%20%22%46%20%9%
Worse off41%44%29%21%39%57%
About the same34%33%39%32%37%31%
(VOL) Don’t know4%2%10%0%4%3%

13.Do you think Chris Christie endorsed Donald Trump for president because he hopes to get a position in the Trump administration or was this not a reason for his endorsement?  [ If YES :   Was this the main reason for his endorsement or a secondary reason?]

 TOTALREGISTERED VOTERPARTY ID
 YesNoRepIndDem
Yes, the main reason68%69%62%55%69%76%
Yes, a secondary reason9%8%14%10%9%9%
No, not a reason15%15%15%26%15%8%
(VOL) Don’t know8%8%9%9%7%7%

[ Q14-18 held for future release. Q19-27 previously released. ]

The Monmouth University Poll  was sponsored and conducted by the Monmouth University Polling Institute from May 23 to 27, 2016 with a statewide random sample of 806 adult residents, including 566 contacted via live interview on a landline telephone and 240 via live interview on a cell phone, in English.  Monmouth is responsible for all aspects of the survey questionnaire design, data weighting and analysis.  Final sample is weighted for region, age, education, gender and race based on US Census information.  Data collection support provided by Braun Research (field) and SSI (RDD sample).  For results based on this sample, one can say with 95% confidence that the error attributable to sampling has a maximum margin of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points (unadjusted for sample design).  Sampling error can be larger for sub-groups (see table below).  In addition to sampling error, one should bear in mind that question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of opinion polls.

POLL DEMOGRAPHICS (weighted)

21% Rep

49% Male

28% 18-34

62% White

42% Ind

51% Female

40% 35-54

13% Black

37% Dem

 

33% 55+

16% Hispanic

 

 

 

  9% Asian/Other

Registered Voter Sample (weighted)

22% Rep

47% Male

23% 18-34

66% White

40% Ind

53% Female

40% 35-54

13% Black

38% Dem

 

37% 55+

12% Hispanic

 

 

 

  8% Asian/Other