Poll: Christie Running Away With New Jersey Gubernatorial Race

A new Quinnipiac University poll shows State Senator Barbara Buono trailing even further behind Governor Chris Christie in New Jersey’s gubernatorial race.

The poll, released Wednesday, finds Christie leading his Democratic challenger 64 percent to 30 percent. The governor leads Buono in nearly all categories of likely voters. Among his own party, Christie leads Buono 94 percent to 3 percent. Among independents, Christie leads 69 percent to 23 percent, 69 percent to 26 percent among men, and 61 percent to 32 percent among women.

Although the “Buono camapaign and Buono’s political background are big on women’s issues,” as Quinnipiac University Polling Institute Director Maurice Carroll notes, “even women favor Christie.”

Democrats, however, back Buono 60 percent to 35 percent.

The margin between Christie and Buono has widened significantly over a period of several weeks. In early August, Quinnipiac surveyed registered New Jersey voters and found Buono was the underdog; Christie—who gained nationwide attention for his response to Hurricane Sandy—led Buono 58 to 30 percent among registered voters.

Over the summer, both candidates have attacked each other on a variety of issues. Earlier this month, Christie accused Buono of criticizing his weight — an issue that the governor has addressed in the past — condemning her for making “derisive comments about someone’s physical appearance” and saying she is “really beneath the office she’s seeking.”

Most recently, Christie, who is eyed as a possible 2016 presidential contender, denounced Buono for hiking taxes, but voting “to raise her own pay 40 percent.”

The attack ads may be taking a toll on Buono; among likely voters, she gets a negative 23 percent to 36 percent favorability. However, Christie’s favorability remains high, at 67 percent to 27 percent.

As Carroll writes, “There is no silver lining for State Senator Barbara Buono in the cloudy outlook for her campaign.”

Photo: Bob Jagendorf via flickr.com