New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is more popular than ever in his home state, according to a new poll released Wednesday.
The pugnacious governor’s approval rating among Garden State voters was at 59 percent in the Quinnipiac survey, compared to 36 percent who disapproved of his stewardship — his highest ever rating since beocming governor in 2009.
Christie received a 92 percent approval rating among Republicans and had the backing of 64 percent among independents compared to 32 percent who disapproved of his job performance.
“Whether Gov. Christopher Christie is traveling the nation, campaigning for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, or traveling to Israel to tout New Jersey business, his job-approval rating at home in Trenton continues to climb,” said Maurice Carroll, director of the poll.
Christie, a top surrogate for Mitt Romney who endorsed him early on in the primary process, is sure to be on the former Massachusetts governor’s vice presidential shortlist.
He is also believed to harbor presidential ambitions in 2016 should Romney lose to President Barack Obama in the fall. His visit to Israel and Jordan last week was widely seen as an attempt to build up his foreign policy experience.