Christie's Ratings Slip to New Lows as Bridgegate Trial Ends

Nearly three-quarters hold negative view of governor

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – As the Bridgegate trial comes to a close, the court of public opinion has rendered its own verdict in the form of lower-than-ever ratings for Gov. Chris Christie, according to the latest Rutgers-Eagleton Poll. Just 20 percent of New Jersey registered voters now have a favorable opinion of Christie – down three points since just six weeks ago when the trial first began. Seventy-two percent view the governor unfavorably, up five points.

Christie’s overall job approval mirrors his favorability. Twenty-one percent now approve (down five points) to 74 percent disapprove (up five points).

Much of the post-trial ratings slip is due to increasing negativity among Christie’s own party base. Forty-nine percent of Republicans are favorable (down eight points from September), versus 41 percent who are unfavorable (up 13 points); 10 percent are unsure. Similarly, Republicans are somewhat split on the overall job he is doing – 50 percent approve (down 13 points) to 44 percent disapprove (up 14 points). This is the first time in his entire governorship where Christie has not garnered support from a majority of Republicans.

“The governor was not directly on trial this past month, but the case seems to have taken a toll on his already low ratings,” said Ashley Koning, interim director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling (ECPIP) at Rutgers University. “Combined with an unpopular gas tax increase that went into effect last week, now even Republicans are turning against Christie.”

Christie does no better with voters on a variety of individual issues. He draws his lowest approval on the state pension fund situation (16 percent approve, 66 percent disapprove) and hits a new all-time low on taxes (17 percent approve, 77 percent disapprove). In the wake of a gas tax increase, Christie is now at 19 percent approve (down six points) to 72 percent disapprove (up seven points) on transportation and infrastructure. He does little better on the economy and jobs – 22 percent to 68 percent.

Christie continues his decline on education and schools (28 percent approve, 64 percent disapprove). On Hurricane Sandy, an issue that once garnered the governor near unanimous support, voters remain split on Christie’s efforts four years later – 43 percent to 47 percent.

“Governor Christie is now just a few points shy of the record low ratings set by Governors Byrne, Florio, and DiFrancesco in Eagleton’s 45 years of polling on New Jersey governors,” said Koning. “Given that the dust has not yet settled from the trial and Christie himself is due in court in a few weeks, we may have not yet seen the end of Christie’s decline.”

Results are from a statewide poll of 772 adults contacted by live callers on both landlines and cell phones from Oct. 28 to Nov. 3, 2016, including 694 registered voters reported on in this release. The sample has a margin of error of +/-4.1 percentage points. Interviews were done in English and, when requested, Spanish.

Editor's Note:  This poll was completed a day before the verdict in the Bridgegate trial was announced on Friday, November 4.

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