Gov. Chris Christie and Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Cory Booker are keeping large leads heading into this fall's elections, while New Jersey's Republican voters want to see Christie nab their party's nomination for president in 2016, according to a new poll.
The Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind poll, released this morning, shows Christie leading his Democratic opponent, state Sen. Barbara Buono, by 24 percentage points — 50 to 26 percent.
That, however, is a seven-point drop from the last PublicMind poll, in June. The results are similar to a poll released by Monmouth University earlier this month that showed Christie's lead falling by 10 points.
Meanwhile, Booker — the mayor of Newark — leads his Republican opponent, former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan, by 28 percentage points — 50 to 22 percent.
"Booker and Christie go into the fall with numbers that can only make them smile," Krista Jenkins, PublicMind's director and a professor of political science at Fairleigh Dickinson, said in a statement. "The hopeful sign for their opponents is the double digit numbers of people who remain 'unsure' about whom they intend to support in either election. For many, their preferences have not yet hardened."
The poll finds that Buono and Lonegan also lack in support from their own party. Forty-seven percent of Democrats favor Buono, with 29 percent — almost a third — backing Chrisite. Fifty-six percent of Republicans favor Lonegan, with 23 percent undecided, according to the poll.
"Cultivating greater support among their base would help Buono and Lonegan make up
ground. With Labor Day almost behind us and kids going back to school, we're entering the period of time when people begin to pay more attention to the choices that await them in October and November," Jenkins said. "There's likely to be more opportunities for connecting with voters, particularly those from the same party, in the coming weeks."
ground. With Labor Day almost behind us and kids going back to school, we're entering the period of time when people begin to pay more attention to the choices that await them in October and November," Jenkins said. "There's likely to be more opportunities for connecting with voters, particularly those from the same party, in the coming weeks."
As for the 2016 presidential race, 51 percent of Republicans in New Jersey say they favor Christie for the GOP nomination, with U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky coming in a distant second with 10 percent, according to the poll.
Christie and Paul have gotten into a verbal sparring match in recent weeks over national security and federal aid. Experts say they represent a growing chasm in the national Republican party: between moderates like Christie and libertarians like Paul.
"The recent verbal exchange between Christie and Paul, two men considered strong candidates for the Republican nomination in 2016, highlighted considerable differences within the Republican party," Jenkins said. "Whether because of familiarity or other attributes, New Jersey Republicans would clearly rather see Christie as the nominee than Paul or other frequently mentioned possibilities."
The poll also found that 63 percent of Democrats in the state favor Hillary Clinton, the former U.S. Senator from New York and Secretary of State, to be their party's presidential nominee. Vice President Joe Biden was second with 10 percent, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo third with 6 percent, and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts fourth with 4 percent.
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