New Poll Suggests NJ Governor-Elect Is Getting Positive Bump
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ (CBS) -- One month from now, Phil Murphy will be sworn in as New Jersey's 56th Governor. And a new poll suggests residents of the Garden State are cautiously optimistic about that.
The survey, released this week by the Rutgers-Eagleton Center, suggests a slight turnaround in voter sentiment. Poll director Ashley Koning.
"Thirty-percent now say the state is headed in the right direction which is a double-digit increase since August," poll director Ashley Koning told KYW Newsradio, "whereas 60% say the state is still off on the wrong track which is a decline from a few months ago."
Fifty-eight percent suggest they are somewhat or very enthusiastic about Murphy taking over from Chris Christie. Koning concedes some of that stems from a desire just to see Christie gone. So what should the Governor-elect address first?
"Taxes was number one," she added. "20% saying something about taxes in general and another 7% specifically mentioning property taxes. Nothing else really even comes close."
Want proof? Education came in second at 14%, the only other issue to get in double digits.
More than 1,200 people across the state were surveyed in mid to late November. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3%.