Poll: Gov. Christie Still Riding High with Most N.J. Voters

53% of Garden State voters approve of the job Chris Christie is doing as governor, while 37% disapprove according to today’s statewide poll by Fairleigh Dickinson University’s PublicMind. That represents a net advantage of 16 percentage points and virtually identical to his standing a year ago before his 2011 State of the State address. Tomorrow, Christie is scheduled to give his 2012 State of the State message.

“That’s the way any office-holder wants to begin the new year,” says Peter Woolley, director of the poll. "But in this economic climate, many aren’t.”

Familiar patterns are found underneath the Governor’s top line: men strongly approve (63-30), while women edge to disapproval (42-45): non-public employee households approve strongly (60-31) in mirror opposite to voters in public employee households (31-58): those who prefer to cut the state budget rather than raise taxes approve heartily (65-27) in contrast to those who say taxes should be increased to support state programs (31-59).