New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is trailing former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in his own state by 23 percentage points, a new poll finds.
If Clinton and Christie were both running for president in 2016 and the election were held now, 58 percent of New Jersey adults would support Clinton, while only 35 percent would support their own governor, according to a
Rutgers-Eagleton Poll released Tuesday.
The poll of 813 New Jersey residents was taken Feb. 3-10 and includes 694 registered voters.
Clinton would also defeat former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker in the Garden State.
Sixty-three percent of New Jersey voters say they believe Clinton would be a good president, with 70 percent saying she has the right presidential "look," 74 percent saying that her "demeanor and personality" are presidential, and 83 percent saying that her "experience" is also sufficient, when she was matched up with other potential Democrat candidates.
The poll also found that 80 percent of New Jersey voters said the nation is ready for a woman to become president, and 50 percent of the voters said they hope to see a woman become president at some point during their lifetime.
"In January 2008, a CNN poll found Americans more 'ready' for a black president than a woman," said David Redlawsk, director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling and Rutgers University political science professor.
"Fast forward seven years and New Jerseyans, at least, have little doubt that the country is now ready for a woman president," Redlawsk added.
A Rutgers-Eagleton poll
taken in August 2014 had Clinton leading Christie by only 11 percentage points.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.