Politics & Government

Poll: Is Christie Running for President? Who Cares?

Most New Jersey voters said they believe the recently re-elected governor will run for president in 2016. Even more said whether or not he does didn't impact their vote.

Despite Gov. Chris Christie’s overwhelming victory in last week’s election, most New Jersey voters expect he will run for president in 2016, according to the Rutgers-Eagleton poll released Tuesday.

A total of 59 percent of voters surveyed said they expect Christie to run for president, while 19 percent said they didn’t think he would and 22 percent were unsure.

Additionally, 45 percent believe he will resign as governor to run for president, while 33 percent believe he will finish his term in office and 23 percent were unsure.

Find out what's happening in Gloucester Townshipwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

However, many voters didn't exactly cast their votes based on his decision.

Over 75 percent said whether he would run for president or not had not impact on if they voted for him, while 8 percent said a presidential run would make them vote for him and 13 percent said that decision would make them less likely to vote for him.

Find out what's happening in Gloucester Townshipwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Christie easily defeated Buono in last week's gubernatorial election.

The Rutgers-Eagleton poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percent. Pollsters contacted 804 registered voters across the state by both cell phone and landlines between Oct. 28 and Nov. 2.

Most voters didn’t see a conflict with Christie’s desire to be president and his commitment to this state, as 44 percent see his views on the issues and extensive travel as doing what’s best for New Jersey. About 33 percent think Christie is more focused on running for president, 10 percent believe he is doing both and 13 percent are undecided.

While New Jersey voters tend to agree with Christie’s confrontational style, about 36 percent believe think that attitude will work on a national stage and 46 percent don’t think it will. Only 4 percent don’t think it will make a difference, while 14 percent are unsure.

Pollsters found that Democrats and women are more critical of Christie’s “tough guy” approach, while Republicans tend to believe his attitude will play well on the national stage independent voters are split down the middle, with 40 percent on each side.

In the lead up to the election, Democratic candidate Barbara Buono criticized Christie’s presidential ambitions, saying the state was taking a back seat. Of those who voted for Buono, about 28 percent said a possible presidential run made them less likely to vote for the governor. Eighty percent of Republicans and 78 percent of independents said the presidential run had no impact on their decision.

“Buono’s message did not resonate with many voters, but among her supporters, some were drawn by the expectation Christie will leave the state,” said David Redlawsk, director of the Rutgers-Eagleton Poll and professor of political science at Rutgers University. “But, for the most part, this attack made little difference.”


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here