A majority of registered voters in New Jersey wants Chris Christie to step down as governor as he pursues his presidential ambitions, according to a new Rutgers-Eagleton Institute poll.
The Republican governor launched his White House bid in late June and has struggled to advance in the polls since. As Christie continues to campaign in early primary states, voters in New Jersey have accused him of abandoning the state and favor having Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno assume the governorship.
According to the poll released Thursday, 54 percent of Garden State voters say Christie should resign as governor now that he has officially announced his candidacy. Along party lines, nearly 70 percent of Democratic voters in the state want the governor to step down while 35 percent of registered Republicans would favor him resigning.
A majority of voters, 53 percent, said Christie’s frequent absence from New Jersey has jeopardized his ability to govern effectively. Voters also expressed concerns over some of Christie’s recent decisions as governor and whether they were motivated by his presidential run.
Earlier this week, Christie vetoed a bill that would have required individuals to notify law enforcement before erasing their mental health records for the purpose of purchasing a firearm, a bill that would have enabled transgender people to alter their birth certificates, and a $300 million pension payment bill sponsored by state Democrats.
Nearly 60 percent of respondents said Christie’s decisions, including whether to sign or veto bills, are “more about his run for president” than “what’s best for New Jersey.” Republican voters were less likely to link Christie’s decision-making to his presidential aspirations. An overwhelming majority of Democrats, 72 percent, said Christie is more concerned with advancing his presidential campaign than acting in the state’s best interest, while 40 percent of Republican voters agreed.
Despite wanting Christie to resign, a slim majority of New Jersey voters still prefer that the spitfire governor do so on his own terms. While 45 percent of voters favor legislation introduced by Democratic state lawmakers that would force Christie — and future governors that declare their candidacy for president — to resign from office, 52 percent said Christie should continue to serve or sign the legislation himself.		 			
“While those here at home show little love for Christie or his presidential run, they are nevertheless against his Democratic opposition ousting him from office,” Ashley Koning, assistant director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University, said in a press release.
New polls in Iowa and New Hampshire indicate that the two-term governor’s troubles span beyond his home state. While facing a record low job approval rating in New Jersey, Christie is also one of the least popular GOP candidates in both New Hampshire and Iowa.
According to the latest Franklin Pierce University/Boston Herald poll, Christie ties with Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul at tenth place in terms of popularity among New Hampshire voters. In Iowa, Christie’s favorability rating is abysmally low. Just 28 percent of voters in the Midwestern swing state hold favorable views of Christie, according to a recent survey by Public Policy Polling.
