Democrat Phil Murphy leads Republican Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno 50 – 25 percent in what is still a battle of the unknowns, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.

In a three-way general election race, with comedian Joe Piscopo running as an independent candidate, in a poll taken prior to the radio show host dropping out today and backing Guadagno, Murphy gets 41 percent, with 21 percent for Guadagno and 14 percent for Piscopo.

In the June 6 primary, 52 percent of Democratic voters remain undecided. Murphy gets 26 percent, with 7 percent for former U.S. Treasury Under Secretary Jim Johnson, 5 percent for Assembly member John Wisniewski, 4 percent for State Sen. Raymond Lesniak, 3 percent for activist Bill Brennan and 1 percent for Tenafly Councilman Mark Zinna.

In a Republican primary, 51 percent of voters are undecided. Guadagno leads with 23 percent, followed by 12 percent for Assembly member Jack Ciattarelli, 5 percent for Nutley Commissioner Steve Rogers and 3 percent for entrepreneur Joseph Rullo.

In the Murphy-Guadagno faceoff, women back the Democrat 53 – 20 percent and men back him 47 – 30 percent.

With Piscopo in the race, women go 45 percent for Murphy, 18 percent for Guadagno and 11 percent for Piscopo. Men go 36 percent for Murphy, 24 percent for Guadagno and 18 percent for Piscopo.

“The news that they’re supposed to elect a governor this year doesn’t seem to have gotten through to a lot of New Jersey voters,” said Maurice Carroll, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.

“Kim Guadagno has been lieutenant governor. Phil Murphy has spent a zillion dollars on campaign ads. Both have sewed up county organization support.”

“But more than half of the voters don’t know enough about either of them to give a favorable-or-unfavorable judgment,” Carroll added.

“Even fewer people have an opinion of Joe Piscopo. Has the news gotten around that he’s thinking of running?

“In a general election matchup, Murphy trounces Guadagno, just hitting the 50 percent mark.”

New Jersey voters know little about the candidates for governor, as 57 percent haven’t heard enough about either Murphy or Guadagno to form an opinion of them. For Piscopo, 64 percent say they don’t know enough to form an opinion.

Taxes are the most important issue in deciding how they will vote for governor, 25 percent of New Jersey voters say, while 19 percent list the economy; 18 percent list education; 15 percent cite health care and 13 percent say ethics in government.

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