Christie's approval rating slightly dips, majority agree legislative bridge committee should wrap up

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New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie

(AP file photo/Mark Humphrey)

TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie's approval rating dipped slightly for the first time in six months, according to a new poll.

The governor has a 46 percent approval rating, a Monmouth University/Asbury Park Press Poll released today found. Christie’s job approval is down from 50 percent in June.

The governor's frequent out-of-state travel and a ramp up toward a possible presidential campaign are likely factors in the dip, said Patrick Murray, director of Monmouth University Polling Institute.

"In the past, buzz about Christie’s presidential potential was a source of pride for most New Jerseyans. These findings suggest that some of his constituents are starting to resent his time out of state,” said Murray. “This is no definitive indication that growing uncertainty about the governor’s job performance will result in widespread backlash against his presidential ambitions, but it bears watching.

Murray didn’t attribute the George Washington Bridge lane closure controversy, which caused Christie to drop in the polls earlier this year, with the slight dip.

A majority of New Jersey adults – 60 percent – agree with the governor when he declared recently it's time for the legislative committee investigating his administration over the controversy to "wrap up."

"Gov. Christie’s ratings took a significant drop after the Bridgegate story broke in early January, but they quickly stabilized in February," Murray said. "These new numbers mark the first perceptible shift in our poll in more than six months, even if it is a shift into the undecided category."

However, a similar number think Christie hasn’t been completely honest about what he knows of the controversy.

The poll surveyed 802 New Jersey adults and has a margin of error of +/- 3.5 percentage points.

Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

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