Both candidates for governor have upside-down approval ratings in a new Stockton Polling Institute survey released this morning.
Democrat Mikie Sherrill is at 34%-35%, while Republican Jack Ciattarelli is at 32%-38%.
The poll did not include a head-to-head matchup between Sherrill and Ciattarelli.
“New Jersey is one of the few states to hold its gubernatorial election in odd years that don’t align with federal races, so voters are paying less attention and turnout tends to be much lower,” said Alyssa Maurice, assistant director of the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy. “There’s still an upcoming debate that could get the candidates on more voters’ radar.”
Gov. Phil Murphy’s job approval rating is at 42%-42%, with Donald Trump at 38%-56%.
The poll also shows that almost half of New Jerseyans (48%) believe the state is headed in the wrong direction, while 30% say it’s going in the right direction.
Two-thirds of the state (67%) indicated they are dissatisfied with New Jersey’s economy, while 31% say they are satisfied. The poll shows that 20% say their financial situation is better than it was one year ago, while 39% said it was worse, and 39% believe it is about the same.
“We know cost of living is a key issue for New Jersey voters so one thing that could account for that change is the rise in utility costs,” Maurice said.
The Stockton Polling Institute of the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University surveyed 705 registered voters from New Jersey between September 25-30 and has a margin of error of +/- 3.7%.
