A majority of state residents say they approve of the job Governor Jon Corzine is doing. This signifies the first time in the Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey Poll where more than half the state gives the governor positive marks. This comes despite that fact that a majority of residents still believe the state as a whole is headed in the wrong direction.
Overall, 51% of New Jersey residents approve of Corzine’s job performance while 29% disapprove. Corzine’s job approval has been steadily inching up from a low of 34% recorded in April 2006. The last Monmouth/Gannett poll reading taken in February of this year – before the state workers union contract was announced – showed him with a 44% approval rating.
The recent increase in Corzine’s approval rating is largely due to an 18 percentage point jump in positive opinion among Democratic residents. Currently, 74% of the governor’s fellow partisans approve of the job he is doing, which is up from 56% in February. By comparison, the current poll shows 45% of independents giving Corzine a good job evaluation (up by only 4 points from 41% in February) and just 33% of Republicans feeling the same (up by only 3 points from 30% in February).
While the governor’s approval rating is relatively high at this time, most New Jerseyans (51%) continue to believe the state has gotten off on the wrong track while only 33% feel it is heading in the right direction. This finding is practically unchanged from recent polls.
The Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey Poll was conducted by telephone with 804 New Jersey adults from April 12 to 16, 2007, all interviews were conducted after the governor’s automobile accident. This sample has a margin of error of ± 3.5 percent. The poll was conducted by the Monmouth University Polling Institute and originally published by the Gannett New Jersey newspaper group (Asbury Park Press, Courier-Post, Courier News, Daily Journal, Daily Record, Home News Tribune, and Ocean County Observer).
DATA TABLES
The questions referred to in this release are as follows:
(* Some columns may not add to 100% due to rounding.)
1. Would you say things in New Jersey are going in the right direction, or have they gotten off on the wrong track?
|
TOTAL | REGISTERED VOTER | PARTY ID | GENDER |
REGION OF STATE | |||||||||
|
Yes | No | Dem | Ind | Rep | Male | Female | North | Central |
South | ||||
| Right direction | 33% | 34% | 29% | 45% | 27% | 26% | 36% | 30% | 38% | 27% | 30% | ||
| Wrong track | 51% | 51% | 51% | 40% | 55% | 68% | 47% | 55% | 47% | 60% | 53% | ||
| (VOL) Depends | 8% | 9% | 4% | 12% | 11% | 2% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 3% | 9% | ||
| (VOL) Dont know | 8% | 6% | 17% | 3% | 7% | 4% | 10% | 7% | 7% | 10% | 8% | ||
| Unwtd N |
804 | 668 | 136 | 211 | 257 | 170 | 387 | 417 | 357 | 216 |
213 | ||
| TREND: |
April | Feb. 2007 | Sept. 2006 | July 2006 | April 2006 |
Sept. |
| Right direction | 33% | 34% | 29% | 27% | 30% | 31% |
| Wrong track | 51% | 55% | 58% | 62% | 55% | 54% |
| (VOL) Depends | 8% | 6% | 6% | 4% | 9% | 5% |
| (VOL) Dont know | 8% | 6% | 7% | 7% | 6% | 10% |
| Unwtd N |
804 | 801 | 800 | 802 | 803 |
800 |
2. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Jon Corzine is doing as governor?
|
TOTAL | REGISTERED VOTER | PARTY ID | GENDER |
REGION OF STATE | |||||||||
|
Yes | No | Dem | Ind | Rep | Male | Female | North | Central |
South | ||||
| Approve | 51% | 52% | 48% | 74% | 45% | 33% | 53% | 50% | 54% | 50% | 48% | ||
| Disapprove | 29% | 30% | 26% | 14% | 36% | 50% | 30% | 28% | 28% | 31% | 30% | ||
| (VOL) Don’t know | 20% | 17% | 27% | 12% | 20% | 18% | 17% | 22% | 17% | 20% | 22% | ||
| Unwtd N |
804 | 668 | 136 | 211 | 257 | 170 | 387 | 417 | 357 | 216 |
213 | ||
| TREND: |
April | Feb. 2007 | Sept. 2006 | July 2006 |
April |
| Approve | 51% | 44% | 42% | 37% | 34% |
| Disapprove | 29% | 34% | 38% | 43% | 37% |
| (VOL) Don’t know | 20% | 22% | 20% | 20% | 29% |
| Unwtd N |
804 | 801 | 800 | 802 |
803 |
Results for this Monmouth University/Gannett NJ Poll are based on telephone interviews conducted by the Monmouth University Polling Institute on April 12-16, 2007 with a statewide random sample of 804 adult residents. For results based on the total 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. Sampling error increases as the sample size decreases, so statements based on various population subgroups, such as separate figures reported by gender or party identification, are subject to more error than are statements based on the total sample. 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.
It is the Monmouth University Polling Institute’s policy to conduct surveys of all adult New Jersey residents, including voters and non-voters, on issues which affect the state. Specific voter surveys are conducted when appropriate during election cycles.
Click on pdf file link below for full methodology and results by key demographic groups.
