Half of Democrats in New Jersey say Gov. Phil Murphy should not run for president in the latest poll of the state from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
The survey asked Democrat residents if Murphy, a Democrat, ought to run for the White House in 2024:
- 30% of Democrats said yes.
- 50% of Democrats said no.
- 20% of Democrats aren't sure.
When the same question was asked about former Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, GOP residents added their voices:
- 12% of Republicans said yes.
- 80% of Republicans said no.
- 8% of Republicans aren't sure.
FDU did not ask Democrats about Christie or Republicans about Murphy.
"Democrats are relatively happy with the job Murphy is doing as governor," noted Dan Cassino, the Executive Director of FDU Poll and a professor of Government and Politics at the university. "But there's just no appetite to see either of these guys run at the national level."
The poll also found that most New Jersey residents hold a negative view of Murphy's job performance, with 40% approving and 42% disapproving. FDU notes that even among Democrats who approve of Murphy's performance, just over one in three say he should run for president.
"Murphy is counting on the idea that gubernatorial experience translates into presidential prospects," Cassino noted. "But even Democrats who think he's done a good job in the state house don't want him running for president."
FDU surveyed 801 New Jersey residents from Oct. 24 to Nov. 1 with a margin of error of plus/minus 3.5 percentage points.