Poll: N.J. Senate President Sweeney more popular with Republicans than ...

Poll: N.J. Senate President Sweeney more popular with Republicans than Democrats, as Gov. Christie's ratings dip

Saed Hindash/The Star-LedgerN.J. Gov. Chris Christie in this May Star-Ledger file photo. According to a recent poll, Christie's approval rating has dipped, although he is faring well in comparison to many other state governors.

TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie’s approval rating has dipped, while Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) is more popular with Republicans than Democrats, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released this morning.
Christie’s approval rating among New Jersey voters fell to 44 percent approving and 47 percent disapproving – the first time more voters have disapproved than approved of him in a Quinnipiac poll since he took office. That’s down slightly from 47 percent to 46 percent in April.
It’s the latest in a series of negative polls for Christie. But he’s more popular than most other governors in states where Quinnipiac recently conducted surveys.
“They’re all in the soup, except Christie – he’s not bad at all,” said poll director Maurice Carroll, who called Christie’s numbers a “standoff.”
Only New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has a 61 to 18 percent approval rating, is more popular then Christie. Christie fares better than Connecticut’s Daniel Malloy (38 percent to 44 percent); Pennsylvania’s Tom Corbett (39 to 38 percent); Florida’s Rick Scott (29 percent to 57 percent); and Ohio’s John Kasich (38 percent to 49 percent).
When asked about how Christie is handling education, his signature issue, 41 percent approve and 55 percent disapproved.
Sweeney, one of the state’s most powerful Democrats, has a negative approval rating of 25 percent to 33 percent. But Democrats are driving the negatives. Thirty percent of Republicans approve of Sweeney, while 26 percent disapprove. Among Democrats, 23 percent approve and 34 percent disapprove.
Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver, (D-Essex), by contrast, is disapproved of by Republicans but liked by Democrats.More.