New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie will likely cruise to re-election this fall with a record-shattering 74 percent job-approval rating, but he trails Hillary Rodham Clinton among Garden State voters in a potential 2016 matchup for president, according to a new poll.
The pugnacious governor’s bid for a second term is steaming ahead, as a staggering 71 percent of voters say Christie (left) deserves re-election, the Quinnipiac University survey found.
While he looks like a shoo-in for re-election, Christie might not be able to carry his home state in a race for president if his opponent is Clinton.
In a hypothetical matchup, Clinton leads Christie 49-45 on his home turf.
But Christie holds a comfortable 54-36 lead in Jersey over another potential cross-Hudson rival for the White House, Gov. Cuomo.
Christie’s popularity is impressive, Quinnipiac said.
“How high is up? Christie keeps soaring. Most governors would kill for a 56 percent job-approval rating,” said Quinnipiac polling director Maurice Carroll.
“Republican Gov. Christie gets that from Democrats.”
Christie’s popularity has skyrocketed following his handling of Hurricane Sandy, which included touring damaged areas with President Obama.
It’s the highest approval rating Quinnipiac has recorded among Jersey governors in 17 years of polling.