Quinnipiac

Republican Christopher Christie has upside-down favorables of 38%-40% in today's Quinnipiac poll.  That's down from 38%-38 on September 30.  The former U.S. Attorney was at 41%-30% on September 1, 42%-26% on August 11, and 39%-20% on July 14.

His favorables are at 39%-36% among Independents, 41%-37% among women, and upside-down, 34%-42%, among women.  Christie's favorables are at: 23%-35% in Essex/Hudson; 37%-40% in Bergen, Passaic, Union, Middlesex and Mercer counties; 42%-38% in Morris, Somerset, Hunterdon, Sussex and Warren counties; upside-down at 33%-37% in South Jersey; and at a strong 48%-31% in Monmouth, Ocean and Atlantic.

Jon Corzine, the Democratic governor, has had upside-down favorables all year.  He's at 40%-53%, perhaps his best showing in 2009.  He had unfavorable of 58% in July, 54% in August, 57% on September 1, 56% on September 30, and 53% today.

The governor's favorables are upside-down, 32%-57% among Independents, upside-down 38%-56% among men, and upside-down 51%-42% among women.  Corzine's favorables are at 58%-33% in Essex/Hudson; upside-down 45%-48% in Bergen, Passaic, Union, Middlesex and Mercer counties; upside-down 27%-64% in Morris, Somerset, Hunterdon, Sussex and Warren counties; just narrowly upside-down at 48%-49% in South Jersey; and at a weak upside-down 65%-28% in Monmouth, Ocean and Atlantic.

Christopher Daggett has statewide favorables of 19% and unfavorable of 7%; nearly three-quarters of New Jersey likely voters (73%) do not know who he is.  His favorables have gone up from 5%-2% in July, to 4%-3% in August, to 8%-4% on September 1, to 11%-3% on September 30, to 19%-7% today.

Gov. Jon Corzine leads Christopher Christie 57%-23% in Essex and Hudson counties, with 11% for Christopher Daggett, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll.

In Bergen, Passaic, Union, Middlesex and Mercer counties, Corzine leads by six percentage points, 46%-40%.  Daggett is getting 11%.

Christie has a sixteen point lead in northwestern New Jersey - Morris, Somerset, Hunterdon, Sussex and Warren counties.  He leads Corzine 46%-30%, but Daggett received 18% in this region - one of his best in the state.

Christie is strongest in Monmouth, Ocean and Atlantic counties, winning the "shore" region 56%-28% -- a margin of 28 points.  Daggett, the former state Environmental Protection Commissioner, is at 12%.

In South Jersey, Corzine has a 44%-33% lead over Christie.  Daggett is getting 18% in this region too.

Republican Christopher Christie has been losing independent likely voters since the summer.  According to Quinnipiac University, Christie was at 54% among independents on July 14, 55% on August 11, 46% on September 1, 45% on September 30, and 41% today.  Democrat Jon Corzine has steadily gained among independents: 24% in July to 25% in August to 30% on September 1, to 32% on September 30, to 32% today.  Daggett started at 12%, and went to 16% and is now at 20% among independents likely to vote in next month's race for Governor.

Republican Christopher Christie leads Gov. Jon Corzine 41%-40% -- a statistical dead heat - and independent Christopher Daggett is at 14%, according to a poll released this morning by Quinnipiac University.

The race for governor has become tighter in recent weeks; a September 30 Quinnipiac poll had Christie ahead 43%-39% with 12% for Daggett, numbers that were just outside the margin of error.

Corzine's job approval remains upside-down, 39%-56%.  Among independents, his approvals are at 34%-62%.

"It's still a nail-biter. Christopher Christie has never given up the lead, but it's been  getting slimmer and now it's a dead heat," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

While Daggett continues to surge in the polls, the survey indicates that support for him is soft.  Just 39% of his backers say their mind is made up; 80% of Christie voters and 75% of Corzine voters indicate that their support is firm.

The poll shows a substantial shift among independents, with Christie ahead of Corzine 41%-32%, with 20% for Daggett.  Christie led Corzine 46%-30% on September 1 and 45%-32% on September 30.  Daggett has moved from 16% of the independent vote in both polls.

"Historically, third party candidates fade on election day.   Apparently, voters agree," Carroll said.  "Very few of his backers are committed to independent candidate Christopher Daggett and 77 percent of all voters say he has no chance of winning."

Among Democrats, Corzine leads Christie 76%-11%, with 10% for Daggett.  Christie has an 83%-8% lead over Corzine among Republicans, with Daggett getting 7%. 

Corzine's favorables are his best in month, but are still upside-down: 40%-53%.  Christie is at his worst since the start of the campaign, 38%-40% -- also upside-down. 

Daggett remains largely unknown: 73% of likely voters don't know enough about him to form an opinion. 

Quinnipiac University will release a new poll on the race for Governor on Wednesday morning.  A September 30 poll showed Republican Christopher Christie leading Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine 43%-39% among likely voters, with Independent Christopher Daggett at 12%.

CRYAN STATEMENT ON NEWLY RELEASED QUINNIPIAC POLL
SHOWING CORZINE’S SUPPORT CONTINUES TO GROW

(TRENTON) – Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan today issued the following statement on the latest Quinnipiac University Poll showing increasing support for Governor Jon S. Corzine:

In his 43%-39% lead over Jon Corzine in the new Quinnipiac University poll, Christopher Christie is leading 50%-34% among men, and trails 43%-37% among women.  Christie’s favorables among men are at 45%-38, while he is upside-down among women, 32%-28%, Corzine is upside-down at 32%-58% among men, and upside-down at 37%-53% among women. 

The race for governor is getting closer: a new Quinnipiac University poll shows Republican Christopher Christie with a four-point lead over Democrat Jon Corzine, 43%-39%, among likely voters. Independent Christopher Daggett is at 12%.

Christie led 47%-37%-9% on September 1, and 46%-40%-7% on August 7. 

Corzine continues to have upside-down approval ratings.  He's now at 36%-58%, just slightly better than the 34%-60% approval rating earlier this month.  His favorables are upside-down at 34%-56%, almost identical to his 34%-57% on September 1.

New Jerseyans are now split on Christie's favorables, 38%-38%.  He was at 41%-30% in the last poll. 

New Jersey voters split 38 - 38 percent in whether they have a favorable/unfavorable opinion of Christie, his worst measure of favorability so far.  More than eight out of ten voters (84%) still don't know much about Daggett, whose poll numbers have nearly doubled since August.

"Christopher Christie is still ahead in the Garden State, but when he looks in the rear-view mirror, he sees the bearded visage of Gov. Jon Corzine getting closer," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.  "This race looks as if it will go down to the wire.   Does Christopher Daggett's impressive climb measure a swing to him or simply a distaste for the two guys hollering at each other?   Will Daggett fade on Election Day?   At this stage, his numbers matter."

Among independents, Christie leads Corzine 45%-32%, with 16% for Daggett.  On September 1, Christie led 46%-30%, with Daggett also at 16%.  Corzine's approvals among independents are also upside-down, 31%-61%.

Corzine has a 71%-10%-11% among Democrats, while Christie has a 83%-6%-9% lead among Republicans.

Quinnipiac University will release a new poll on the race for Governor on Wednesday morning.  A September 1 Quinnipiac poll showed Republican Christopher Christie leading Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine 47%-37% among likely voters, with Independent Christopher Daggett at 9%.  Christie led Corzine 46%-40% in Quinnipiac's August 11 survey.

Former state Commissioner of Environmental Protection Christopher Daggett, an independent candidate for governor, is polling at 9% statewide

Today's poll results show independent gubernatorial candidate Christopher Daggett trailing far behind his two major party rivals, but Daggett sees reason to be optimistic.

For one, although 67% of likely voters still don't know who Daggett is, that's down from 89% in last month's FDU poll.

"That's a remarkable jump, I think, and indicative of the fact that people in New Jersey are looking for an alternative. They are not satisfied with either of the candidates in my view," said Daggett, who served as Commissioner of Environmental Protection in Gov. Thomas Kean's cabinet.

One percent of the FDU poll's respondents volunteered Daggett as their preference when asked if they preferred someone other than Governor Jon Corzine or Republican gubernatorial nominee Chris Christie.  In a Quinnipiac University poll released today, Daggett, who was included in the horse race question, gets the support of 9% of likely voters even though 87% had not heard enough about him to form an opinion.

"If I have 9% in the polls and my recognition is in the teens somewhere, that tells me when people hear about me they have a positive response," he said.  "I think what you'll see is the people as they get back from summer vacation and start to focus more -- as they see me in the debates and joint forums of one type of another -- you're going to see a change, and you're going to see it moving towards me because they're for me as opposed to against Corzine and Christie."

Quinnipiac University poll director Maurice Carroll said that Daggett gets much better numbers than the average independent or third party candidates, who tend to get a couple points by dint of voters' dissatisfaction with the two major party candidates.

"He's not going to win, but is he a factor?  Yeah. Nine points is a substantial factor," said Carroll, who added that his numbers could increase if voters like what they see in the televised debates, where Daggett - who raised the $340,000 necessary to receive public funds - gets his own podium.  It also depends on how close the race between Corzine and Christie is, since a close race between two higher profile candidates means an automatic drop off of for a candidate voters don't think can win.