New Jerseyans’ satisfaction with how the state government is handling a variety of issues spans a wide range, from extensive discontent on taxes and affordability to mixed ratings on crime, health care and education, according to the latest Rutgers-Eagleton Poll.

“New Jerseyans are in a state of malaise when it comes to how Trenton is handling a number of key statewide issues,” said Ashley Koning, an assistant research professor and director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling (ECPIP) at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. “There isn’t a single issue where a significant majority is satisfied, even those that have historically proven to be feathers in the state government’s cap. Instead, residents are either net negative or divided on every topic we asked. New Jersey’s discontent sets the stage for an interesting governor’s race ahead, where frustration with both state and national politics will compete for the spotlight – and ultimately, for votes.”

Eighty-five percent of New Jerseyans are either “very” (52%) or “somewhat” (33%) dissatisfied with how the state government is handling cost of living and affordability in the state. Twelve percent feel the opposite (2% “very satisfied,” 10% “somewhat satisfied”). Residents feel similarly about how the state government is managing taxes: 80% are dissatisfied (53% “very,” 27% “somewhat”), while 16% are satisfied (3% “very,” 13% “somewhat”).

While large majorities of Democrats, independents and Republicans are unhappy with the handling of these issues, Republicans, followed by independents, are more negative than Democrats.

“While dissatisfaction on taxes has remained pretty constant throughout the past decade according to our polling, dissatisfaction on cost of living and affordability in the state has gone up by 10 points since 2017,” Koning said. “Affordability has become a defining issue in New Jersey and especially in this year’s governor’s race. How each candidate interprets and tackles the issue will be key to persuading and turning out voters.”

New Jerseyans’ views improve on the handling of other issues but are still more dissatisfied than satisfied when it comes to the state budget and government spending (57% dissatisfied, 30% satisfied) and transportation and infrastructure (54% dissatisfied, 39% satisfied). While satisfaction with the state budget has nearly doubled in the past decade and dissatisfaction on this issue has correspondingly gone down, views on transportation and infrastructure have seen a slight decline in satisfaction and a corresponding increase in dissatisfaction.

New Jerseyans are split when it comes to the state’s handling of the state economy and jobs: 44% are satisfied (6% “very,” 38% “somewhat”), while 48% are dissatisfied (31% “somewhat,” 17% “very”). Satisfaction on the handling of this issue has declined by 11 points since 2022.

Residents also are divided on education and schools: 47% are satisfied (13% “very,” 34% “somewhat”) versus 41% dissatisfied (23% “somewhat,” 18% “very”). Once a high point for the state, there has been a double-digit decline in satisfaction on this issue and a corresponding double-digit increase in dissatisfaction since 2022.

Views also are mixed on how the state is managing health care: with 49% satisfied (9% “very,” 40% “somewhat”) versus 45% dissatisfied (27% “somewhat,” 18% “very”). Opinions on health care have reverted to 2017 levels after a bump in satisfaction in 2022.

New Jerseyans are slightly more positive than negative on how the state is handling crime and safety, though the difference isn’t statistically significant. Fifty-one percent are satisfied (8% “very,” 43% “somewhat”), while 45% are dissatisfied (24% “somewhat,” 21% “very”). Once again, positive views on the state’s handling of crime have gone down in the past decade, while negative views have gone up.

“On all these issues, Republicans are more negative than Democrats, but what’s key here is independents’ placement as somewhere in the middle each time,” said Koning. “Independents are dissatisfied with politics at both the state and national level, so candidate messaging and focus will prove crucial here to courting this ever-important voting bloc.”

When it comes to impressions of political figures in the Garden State, voters are split on Gov. Phil Murphy: 43% have a favorable opinion of him, while 40% have an unfavorable one. Murphy’s margin is slightly better on job approval: 47% approve to 38% disapprove. Both the governor’s favorability and job approval ratings are continuing a downward trend since fall 2024, with the margin on each rating narrowing within the past year.

New Jerseyans also are mixed on U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, with 40% saying they have a favorable impression of him, and 35% having an unfavorable one; 19% have no opinion, and 7% say they don’t know who he is. His approval numbers mirror his favorability: 40% approve, 34% disapprove and 26% are unsure.

New Jerseyans have a more positive than negative view of U.S. Sen. Andy Kim (34% favorable versus 19% unfavorable), though a notable number have yet to form an opinion on the junior senator (29%) or know who he is (18%). As with Booker, Kim’s approval numbers are similar to his favorability ratings: 37% approve to 17% disapprove; 47% are unsure.

As for President Donald Trump, 30% say they have a favorable impression of him, 59% are unfavorable and 10% have no opinion. His job approval numbers parallel his favorability ratings: 31% approve, 60% disapprove and 9% are unsure.

“Both Murphy and Trump will loom large over this year’s governor’s race, and early indicators of who might play a bigger role or have a more positive or negative influence are a mixed bag right now,” Koning said. “Democrats and Republicans give similarly high ratings to their respective party leaders while independents give the same lower favorability and approval ratings to both men, though independents are less likely to disapprove, as well as more likely to not take a side, on Murphy compared to Trump.”

Results are from a statewide poll of 621 adults contacted through the probability-based Rutgers-Eagleton/SSRS Garden State Panel from June 13 to June 16. The full sample has a margin of error of +/- 5.4 percentage points.

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