Murphy, Guadagno Lead In New Jersey Primaries, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Democrat Murphy Has 22-Point General Election Lead

In the 2017 New Jersey governor’s race – at this point the battle of the unknowns – Democrat Phil Murphy and Republican Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno each lead in the June 6 primary election, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. Lt. Gov. Guadagno tops comedian Joe Piscopo by 10 percentage points.

In a general election matchup, Murphy leads Guadagno 47 – 25 percent, with 25 percent undecided, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds.

Murphy gets 23 percent in a Democratic primary, with 6 percent for Assembly member John Wisniewski, 4 percent each for former U.S. Treasury Under Secretary Jim Johnson and State Sen. Raymond Lesniak and 2 percent for activist Bill Brennan. Most voters, 57 percent, are undecided.

In a Republican primary, Guadagno leads with 28 percent, followed by 18 percent for comedian Joe Piscopo, 3 percent for Assembly member Jack Ciattarelli, 2 percent for Nutley Commissioner Steve Rogers and 1 percent for entrepreneur Joseph Rullo. Another 42 percent are undecided.

Party trumps gender in the general election as women back the Democratic man over the Republican woman 51 – 20 percent. Men also back Murphy 42 – 31 percent.

The candidates remain largely unknown, as 70 percent of voters don’t know enough about Murphy to form an opinion of him and 63 percent don’t know enough about Guadagno.

“Question: Can a TV comic such as Joe Piscopo be a serious candidate for governor of New Jersey? Answer: Remember Ronald Reagan.

“The leading candidates – Republican Kim Guadagno and Democrat Phil Murphy – are little known, despite her years as lieutenant governor and the huge amount of money he already has spent,” said Maurice Carroll, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.

“Will that change if they win the nominations? Sure, but it’s hardly an auspicious start,” Carroll added.

New Jersey voters disapprove 76 – 19 percent of the job Gov. Christopher Christie is doing, compared to a 78 – 17 percent disapproval in a January 31 Quinnipiac University poll.

Most voters give Gov. Christie a D or an F for job performance:

• A – 3 percent;
• B – 14 percent;
• C – 25 percent;
• D – 25 percent;
• F – 31 percent.

Christie will not get much done in his last year as governor, 77 percent of voters say, while 19 percent say he can be effective.

The governor’s presidential bid was bad for New Jersey, voters say 71 – 13 percent, including 57 – 24 percent among Republicans.

Voters say 45 – 24 percent that Christie should take the sports radio job for which he is being considered.

President Donald Trump also is under water as voters disapprove 59 – 34 percent of the job he is doing, compared to a 55 – 36 percent disapproval January 31.

Sen. Cory Booker gets a positive 57 – 31 percent approval rating, virtually matching his all-time high score of 58 – 31 percent January 31.

Voters approve 45 – 34 percent of the job U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez is doing, down from a 51 – 32 percent score in January.

“The big question about Gov. Christopher Christie seems to be: How low can his job- approval go? Can he bounce back even a little bit before his term expires?” Carroll asks.

“Sen. Cory Booker remains the most popular politician in New Jersey. Is it too early to start thinking about a 2020 presidential bid?”

From March 9 – 13, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,098 New Jersey voters with a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points. The survey includes 450 Democrats with a margin of error of +/- 4.6 percentage points and 315 Republicans with a margin of error of +/- 5.5 percentage points. Live interviewers call landlines and cell phones.

The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public opinion surveys in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio, Virginia, Iowa, Colorado and the nation as a public service and for research.

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Call (203) 582-5201, or follow us on Twitter @QuinnipiacPoll.

See the full poll here.