If Gov. Chris Christie is planning to run for president as many political pundits expect, he is not likely to boast about poll numbers released Tuesday morning.

(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
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The latest Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind survey revealed registered voters in New Jersey gave the governor his worst ratings ever.

"Fifty-five percent of voters say they disapprove of the job Chris Christie's doing as governor which is the highest disapproval number we've recorded and only three-in-ten approve," said Krista Jenkins, professor of political science at FDU and director of PublicMind. "Thirty percent is the lowest we've recorded in terms of Gov. Christie's approvals since we began polling on him."

In an April, 2015 poll 36 percent approved of the job he was doing while 50 percent disapproved. There was more negative news for Christie in the latest survey.

"Thirty-nine percent say they dislike both the governor and his policies which is the highest percentage of dislike that we've recorded since we began asking the question (in July of 2012)," Jenkins noted. "Less than a quarter (24 percent) say they like the governor and his policies."

Four-in-10 (42 percent) said their opinion of the governor has changed for the worse since his first took office. Just over 1-in-10 (13 percent) said they like him more now and 41 percent said their opinion hasn't changed.

State lawmakers don't get a pass. Just 24 percent said the legislature was doing a good job while 44 percent disapproved of their work.

"Voters appear to feel abandoned by their leaders. Those at the helm in state government are clearly letting those whom they represent down," Jenkins said. "With sentiments like these, state legislators appear to be facing an unhappy electorate in a few months."

Almost 6-in-10 (57 percent) felt the state is headed in the wrong direction. Just 28 percent said it is on the right path. The public employee pension system (23 percent) and unemployment (21 percent) are the state's biggest problems according to voters.

"What is clear to a voter is a lack of political leadership is to blame for the state's problems," Jenkins explained.

The poll was conducted by phone from June 15-21, 2015 with randomly selected statewide sample of 792 self-identified registered voters. Results have a margin of sampling error of +/- 3.7 points.

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