April 22, 2009
Posted: April 22nd, 2009 09:54 AM ET

From
A new poll shows Corzine could be in trouble.
A new poll shows Corzine could be in trouble.

(CNN) - A new poll spells more trouble for New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine's bid this year for re-election.

Fifty-four percent of New Jersey voters questioned in a Quinnipiac University survey released Wednesday disapprove of how Corzine's handling his duties as governor. That's the highest disapproval ever registered of a Garden State governor in Quinnipiac polling.

Corzine's disapproval rating jumped four points from March. Thirty-seven percent of those questioned think Corzine's doing a good job, down three points from last month.

While a majority of Democrats approve of Corzine's job as governor, he gets negative scores from a majority of independents and a vast majority of Republicans.

In hypothetical match-ups this November, the poll indicates Corzine trails Republican challenger and former U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie by seven points and is tied with another Republican challenger, former Bogota, New Jersey Mayor Steve Lonegan.

The poll suggests that Christie leads Lonegan in the Republican primary battle by nine points.

"The economy is killing Gov. Jon Corzine's approval rating in New Jersey so much that he is vulnerable not only to a strong challenger such as Chris Christie but a lesser known Republican such as Mayor Steve Lonegan," said Clay F. Richards, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

New Jersey and Virginia are the only states with gubernatorial contests this November. Democrats are defending both seats. In Virginia, the incumbent, Governor Tim Kaine, is term limited. Republicans are eyeing both seats and would tout victories in New Jersey and Virginia as sign of revival leading in the 2010 midterm elections, when 36 states hold gubernatorial contests.

The Quinnipiac University poll was conducted April 14-20, with 2,222 registered New Jersey voters questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 2.1 percentage points.

Filed under: Jon Corzine


Hunter Reid   April 22nd, 2009 12:31 pm ET

Here's hoping Corzine and N.J. get its house in order so no more of you move south.

Baze   April 22nd, 2009 12:31 pm ET

How many times and in how many ways are they going to present bad polls for Corzine? Ok we get it, he's toast!!! Jesus!! Who cares about Jersey anyway?

Lori   April 22nd, 2009 12:27 pm ET

Let's put this in perspective... In NY-20, Republican Tedisco had a huge margin weeks before the election but he lost the election to the Democrat (although Murphy did have President Obama on his side). In the world of politics, a months can be a very looonnnnggg time!

RSR   April 22nd, 2009 12:23 pm ET

If you live in New Jersey...
If you work & have a job...
If you have a family & kids...
If you pay taxes...
Then you know, Corzine has to go!!!

stugots05   April 22nd, 2009 12:20 pm ET

Stan,

You can't just get rid of Abbott districts. They are mandated by a series of New Jersey Supreme Court decisions. I know Republicans like to think the chief executive can skirt the law, but that is not the system of government we have in America.

The NJ Supreme Court interprets the NJ Constitution, and they decided denying poor districts equal funding violates the NJ Constitution. The Governor has to operate under the NJ Constitution – he or she isn't free to change it as they see fit.

Bob the Observer   April 22nd, 2009 12:16 pm ET

Fasten your seat belt, Governor. It looks like you're in for a bumpy ride.

ArtNYC   April 22nd, 2009 12:12 pm ET

NJ together with NY have some of the highest taxes in the country, run by liberals to the ground, it's no surprise they are both in very big trouble. People and companies are leaving by the masses. Enough is enough.

Consider this, you can expect to pay around $8-10k in property taxes for a run of the mill house. That is insane!!!

David   April 22nd, 2009 12:05 pm ET

Good, this CFR cronie needs to be shown the door.

Debby, NJ...foot soldier 'til 2016   April 22nd, 2009 12:01 pm ET

NJ will not vote Republican...believe it!

Sam Sixpack   April 22nd, 2009 11:58 am ET

All that matters is we blindly hate Republicans. So what if 98% of the stimulus money is going to fat, greedy, rich people? So what if the economy is tanking faster than ever. As long as we join together in our blind hatred of everything Republican we can pretend we're relevant without having to know or do anything. Off with their heads!

Stan   April 22nd, 2009 11:53 am ET

Corzine's political days are numbered. New Jersians can no longer afford the liberal agenda. End COAH, End Abbott Districting, get our property taxes under control. Get the NJ government on your side and off your back. Steve Lonegan is the man!

Greg Pottstown, Pa.   April 22nd, 2009 11:47 am ET

Nj will not vote any way other than democrat. It is that simple. Corzine may not be elected again but I don't see them becoming a red state. It is sad that NJ is so far in debt and has no one to blame but democrats. That is a fact. NJ pays the highest property taxes in the nation and you can't drive 5 miles with out paying a tole and they are still in debt. They have the second largest casino industry in the nation and and a beautiful coast line. Yet they are still under a huge debt. Nobody to blame but democrats.

Mark, B'ham., Al.   April 22nd, 2009 11:46 am ET

Being in the state with the highest income taxes for the working residents and having a Chicago politics type reputation no wonder the governor is in trouble. He cannot even obey the speed limits.

Henry Miller, Cary, NC   April 22nd, 2009 11:46 am ET

For those of you who don't like your choices limited to the usual hard-to-tell-them-apart Republicans and Democrats, there's almost always a Libertarian to vote for. Now that's change!

JonDie   April 22nd, 2009 11:44 am ET

Maybe Dick Cheney or Mitt Romney or Rudy Giuliani or Rush Limbaugh or Sarah Palin will move to New Jersey and run for governor, then New Jersey will be able to elect the governor they deserve. Because any Republican they elect governor is going to be cut out of the Republican mold, a divisive, bitterly partisan governor who hopes to benefit from a ruined economy.

Not Jersey Joe   April 22nd, 2009 11:42 am ET

Looks like Jon's White House hopes are in the bag. Bad economy, bad decisions, corruption (to be fair, he's not implicated), rising taxes and a lot more. A lot of us remember his previous life at Goldman-Sachs before he was pushed out.

Hopefully, someone well qualified can clean up the mess and that includes that cesspool called Atlantic City.

Judi Baller   April 22nd, 2009 11:38 am ET

Well this gal from New Jersey knew we were in for a big bad trip when Republican Christie Whitman decided to run on a state tax cut of 30%. I have never lived in a state so obsessed with taxes in my life and I come from MA (better known as "Taxachusetts"). New Jersey is a very dense drive-through state and it is going to cost people for services. For years after Gov. Whitman's tax cut, the lights on the highways were turned off. When she left for Washington and the Bush administration, her GOP successor blew so much tax money we really ended up in a ditch with even the insurance companies abandoning ship. Somehow Dem. Gov. McGreevy reversed the insurance mess so we have our insurance companies back but Gov. Corzine has had to try to turn around the mess left to him by past Governors (Democrat AND Republican) and their one shot deals that keep the voters happy. Times is tough, folks, and NJ is having its problems like everyone else. At least it didn't go bankrupt like CA.

Michael M. Noonan   April 22nd, 2009 11:32 am ET

Excellent news.

Rickymo   April 22nd, 2009 11:29 am ET

He will pull it through–he has the money! But he is a good Governor for the State.which was another example of how the GOP ruins things.

NJ Resident James   April 22nd, 2009 11:29 am ET

Corizine is a terrible govenor, there is no way he could win the next election. There's so many things he's screwed up on that it would be criminal to allow him to be re-elected. Every few weeks my newspaper would have a headline about Corizine raising tolls or raising taxes, hopefully this will all go away soon.

Mississippi Mike   April 22nd, 2009 11:17 am ET

New Jersey has a long track record of electing corrupt, incompetent Democrats. While I think it would be wise for them to consider electing some Republicans, the citizens of New Jersey haven't been known to be wise.

Franky   April 22nd, 2009 11:15 am ET

Well...if he loses, we'll know he won't have a reality show that's for sure, LOL!!

And people are worried about their state? Look at ours!!! LOL!!!

Doug, New Jersey   April 22nd, 2009 11:10 am ET

"He was always a Republican in Democrats clothing."

See, libs always lie and hate the truth. Corozine is a walking definition of the word liberal. He has not one ounce of republican decency, morals, values, integrity, compassion, fairness, or patriotism.

You can google and find a picture of him too, that's no republican.

The libs in this state are the worst kind of extremist hater libs you can find. They want all republicans killed, you think they would ever vote for one?

Anyway to lie is to lib so I get the point of your post.

Doug, New Jersey   April 22nd, 2009 11:07 am ET

Take a drive in the garden state, if you are still alive after doing so you will witness just how liberal Democrat this state is. Yes, the Soprano's was sort of like a documentary, tons of those kinds of "how u doin" libs in this state and you really can't find a worse human being anywhere else in this country, maybe even the world!

Corozine is fine, he symbolizes liberalism by talking about how the state is broke even though we have the highest property taxes, #2 casino industry in America, and tolls everywhere you go. This state is lib cronieism at its finest, Corozine is the boss and between the how u doins, taker libs, and the moraless Moore/Franken clones, a Democrat will always get elected.

ANGIE IN PA   April 22nd, 2009 11:03 am ET

New Jersey will not Vote Republican Bet On It!

dittohead using forty names   April 22nd, 2009 11:02 am ET

Corzine bought the job,did what ever he wanted for his pals.He was always a Republican in Democrats clothing.

Jaimon   April 22nd, 2009 10:56 am ET

NJ needs a governor. Don't elect the GOP... just throw those Dems out and replace them with someone who doesn't toe anyone's party line.

Brad - California   April 22nd, 2009 10:48 am ET

It doesn't matter who he is or what he does – he will be an incumbent which in my opinion indicates that he's been there too long already. Government is not supposed to be a revolving career door. That's been our problem all along.

Chris   April 22nd, 2009 10:45 am ET

Corzine has good ideas, unfortunately he negates them with the Democrats arrogance and stupidity. Chris Christie for Gov!

Roy   April 22nd, 2009 10:35 am ET

Good, another democrat bites the dust. Now this is change I can believe in!

April   April 22nd, 2009 10:34 am ET

Yeah, I usually vote Democrat but I simply cannot vote for Corzine. And Lonegan had JTP speaking at one of his rallies. And then there's Chrisie. I don't know who I'm going to vote for. Maybe I'll finally leave the state.

Sniffit   April 22nd, 2009 10:25 am ET

"Republicans are eyeing both seats and would tout victories in New Jersey and Virginia as sign of revival leading in the 2010 midterm elections, when 36 states hold gubernatorial contests."

I certainly hope so. Nothing would be better for the Dems than the GOP continuing to refuse to change as we demanded on November 4, 2008. Anything to perpetuate their folly. They'll be getting another message in 2010, don't doubt, and they'll be pretending they didn't hear that one too.

Frank   April 22nd, 2009 10:23 am ET

Truth from NJ: All Corzine cared about was using the govenor's seat to reach a position in the White House. He spent these past 4 years placating anyone who could help elevate him with no regard for the tax payers cause he planned on being out of here before this coming election. That's why nationally he is always painted in such a good light, but everyone here thinks he's destroyed the state. But he backed the wrong horse for president, and was too slow switching for Obama to feel he owes him anything. So now he has to reap what he sowed, it's poetic justice. I hope another democrat runs against him, I hope independents run.

Richard A. Spomer, Alexandria, VA   April 22nd, 2009 10:20 am ET

The real issue needing to be discussed in the news has President Obama held up to the standard of President Abraham Lincoln, which he was running as a predecessor on/or in the first place?

The number two does President Obama have what it takes; in bringing about criminal charges against the military officials which had participated in the white boarding?

Jon Corzine is just another Democrat running for office in which President Obama’s clout is shining on.

Da Professor   April 22nd, 2009 10:18 am ET

New Jersey??? Isn't that where the mob buries all its hits?

Rick   April 22nd, 2009 10:18 am ET

Gee, what happened to all of the democrat election sweeps that I was hearing so much about?

J in NJ   April 22nd, 2009 10:16 am ET

Corzine is outta here!!!!!!!!!!!! The next Governor of NJ will be republican Steve Lonegan.

mark   April 22nd, 2009 10:10 am ET

He loves to spend and tax people til they have a dime left. Say goodbye.................

NewJerseyResident   April 22nd, 2009 10:06 am ET

Corzine has got to go!!!!

Robin   April 22nd, 2009 10:05 am ET

Um, hate to break this to you. But Corzine is a Democrat and is a terrible governor.

New Jersey will have a Republican Governor next, hopefully Steve Lonegan, and I can't wait!

Fair is Fair   April 22nd, 2009 10:02 am ET

Americans are taking a good hard look at what the democratic party is up to... and not liking what they see.

Enlightened Voter   April 22nd, 2009 9:57 am ET

As long as a rethuglican does not get elected I don't care who NJ picks. The rethugs have ruined this country enough.

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