Christie’s poll numbers remain sluggish after Bridgegate

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the George Washington Bridge lane closures that would erupt into Bridgegate, and while Democrats continue to keep the story in the news, Gov. Chris Christie has largely moved past the scandal.

But his approval ratings have not according to the latest Fairleigh Dickinson University  PublicMind poll which shows the governor's job approval ratings remains far below where they were prior to the controversy.

"Right now 46 percent approve of his job performance with 40 percent disapproving," said Krista Jenkins, professor of political science and director of PublicMind at FDU. "Once upon a time in a world before Bridgegate Gov. Christie's appeal was both wide and deep. He attracted the support of considerable numbers of Democrats, women, and those in union households. Support among these groups has dropped considerably."

In an FDU-Public Mind poll released on Nov. 4, 2013, the day before Christie won a landslide 22-point reelection victory over State Sen. Barbara Buono and weeks before the Bridgegate scandal erupted, 61 percent of New Jersey's registered voters approved on the job the governor was doing while just 24 disapproved.

However, Christie does poll well around the rest of the country, and remains a strong contender for the GOP presidential nomination.

Kevin McArdle contributed to this report.