Poll: Christie widens lead among New Jersey likely voters
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Chris Christie
A hot summer in New Jersey appears to be getting even hotter for Gov. Jon Corzine, as a new poll suggests that Republican challenger Chris Christie has increased his edge over the incumbent Democrat in state's gubernatorial battle.
Fifty percent of likely New Jersey voters questioned in a Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey survey released Tuesday back the former federal prosecutor in this year's election, with 36 percent supporting the first-term governor and 4 percent indicating they'll vote for independent candidate Christopher Daggett. Eight percent of likely voters are undecided. Christie's 14 point lead among likely voters is up from an 8 point lead in a Monmouth University poll conducted a month ago.
But among registered voters, including both those likely and unlikely to cast ballots in the gubernatorial contest, the survey indicates Christie holds a 4 point lead over Corzine, 43 percent to 39 percent, with 10 percent undecided. That's down from a 6 point lead a month ago.
The new poll was conducted after both President Barack Obama teamed up at a campaign rally with Corzine and the arrests by federal prosecutors of dozens of public officials and political operatives in New Jersey.
(...) The survey suggests Corzine is taking three out of four Democratic voters, while Christie is winning eight out of ten Republicans and leading among independents by 20 points.
The 14 point lead for Christie among likely voters in the Monmouth poll follows nine point lead in Quinnipiac University survey conducted in mid July.
The new poll's release comes as the Corzine campaign is airing a new television commercial on broadcast and cable TV in New Jersey that features President Obama.