Chris Christie Still Getting Love From NJ Voters [AUDIO]

Garden State residents continue to give Governor Chris Christie high marks for his job performance and they like where the state is heading.

That's according to today's Fairleigh Dickinson University-Public Mind poll of just over 900 registered New Jersey voters.

51% of registered voters give Christie their stamp of approval while 35% disapprove of the job he's doing. More than half of all respondents (52%) say the state is moving in the right direction.

Poll director Krista Jenkins says the right track-wrong-track number, "continues to underscore Republican Governor Chris Christie's support in a state with more Democrats than Republicans……These numbers have basically remained the same across polls conducted throughout the year. Policy battles have come and gone, new ones have emerged, and the state continues to struggle with an unemployment rate that's greater than the national average. Yet, Governor Christie remains in good standing with a broad cross-section of registered voters."

The survey also reveals a healthy degree of support for Christie from Independent and Democratic constituents. A majority of independents, who will be important to him should he seek re-election next year, approve of the job he's doing (55%) and believe the state is on the right track (54%). A sizable number of Democrats give him high marks across both measures as well (28% and 32%, respectively).

"These numbers underscore his broad base of support among political allies and potential foes alike," explains Jenkins. "They also are what distinguish him from his peers in statehouses around the country who struggle with an ability to connect across party lines and yet face similar challenges as New Jersey. Should Governor Christie seek re-election, his campaign will begin from a place that those in similar positions will envy."

The statewide poll of 901 registered voters was conducted by telephone with both landlines and cell phones from September 6, 2012 through September 12, 2012, and has a margin of error of +/-3.3 percentage points.