The allegations of politically-motivated lane closures at the George Washington Bridge have not slipped from voters' minds across the country, according to a new survey, and the scandal may have complicated the prospective presidential candidacy of Gov. Chris Christie.

Gov. Chris Christie Addresses The Fort Lee George Washington Bridge Scandal
Spencer Platt, Getty Images
loading...

In a Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind poll of registered voters nationwide, nearly a fifth indicated they are paying very close attention to Bridgegate, and an additional 28 percent said they are following the story somewhat closely.

Making matters worse for Christie, more than half of the Bridgegate followers don't believe his claims of ignorance regarding his aides' involvement in the Fort Lee lane closures. Around a third gave him the benefit of the doubt.

Krista Jenkins, director of PublicMind, said the scandal could very well be having an effect on Christie's shot at becoming the Republican nominee for president, if he chooses to run. He could have been a "frontrunner," according to Jenkins, but that's not the case with the current poll.

"We find that among registered voters nationally, the current crop of potential Republican candidates for the White House in 2016 are virtually indistinguishable in hypothetical matchups with Hillary Clinton," Jenkins said. "We asked about Chris Christie, Paul Ryan, Rand Paul, Jeb Bush and Mike Huckabee, and we find that they all garner the support of about one-third of registered voters, to Clinton's almost 50 percent."

Considering the survey's margin of error, Jenkins said, no one holds a true lead at this point among Republicans.

FDU PublicMind poll - Clinton vs. Republicans
FDU PublicMind
loading...

More From New Jersey 101.5 FM