Governor in Good Light

see also:
Tabular Results
Survey Details
Republican Response
Democratic Response

New Jersey voters may be unhappy with the way things are going in the Garden State but they're not necessarily blaming the governor.  According to the most recent survey results from Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind, only 37% of likely voters think the state is headed in the right direction, but 56% approve of the job Jon Corzine is doing as governor.

While half of voters (49%), unchanged from August, say the state is “on the wrong track,” only 28% disapprove of the job the governor is doing.  Despite a recent increase in sales tax, half of voters (51%) rate the governor's performance with marks of “good” or “excellent,” up 9 percentage points from late summer. Only 14% give the governor's performance a mark of “poor,” down 6 percentage points from late August. Even among Republicans, only one quarter (25%) give the governor a mark of “poor.”

“Voters are pessimistic about the way things are going in the state, but they are optimistic about the governor's willingness to attack problems,” said Peter J. Woolley, a political scientist and director of the poll. “Voters aren't holding this governor responsible for the state's problems just nine months into his term.”

Among those voters who are undecided in the Senate race between Bob Menendez and Tom Kean, a majority think the state is on the wrong track. “Voters who are both undecided about their Senate vote and unhappy with the state become a target of opportunity for the Republican challenger for the Senate seat,” added Woolley.

Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind poll of 514 randomly selected likely voters statewide was conducted from September 26 through October 2 and has a margin of error of +/- 4 percentage points.

Contacts:

Contacts: Peter Woolley 973.670.3239; Dan Cassino 973.896.7072

Radio actuality line: (201) 692-2846.

For more information, please call (201) 692-7032.