| About half of New Jerseyans (49 percent) continue to approve of the overall job Governor Phil Murphy is doing as he proceeds with his second term, according to the latest Rutgers-Eagleton Poll. Forty-six percent disapprove of his job performance; just 5 percent are unsure. Murphy’s job approval rating has essentially held steady from November 2021, with just a minor bit of movement.
Murphy’s favorability, on the other hand, has taken a double-digit hit since his re-election: 33 percent now have a favorable impression of the governor (down from 50 percent in November 2021), while 38 percent have an unfavorable one.
“This marks the first time since Governor Murphy took office that more New Jerseyans are unfavorable toward him than favorable,” said Ashley Koning, an assistant research professor and director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling (ECPIP) at Rutgers University–New Brunswick. “His current job approval and favorability numbers are reminiscent of the start of his first term, marking a clear end to his pandemic-induced ratings bump as both the state and politics attempt to return to some sort of normal.”
On his first report card of his second term, Murphy remains a ‘C’ student, on average. When it comes to grading him overall, 11 percent of New Jerseyans give him an ‘A,’ 28 percent a ‘B,’ 24 percent a ‘C,’ 15 percent a ‘D,’ and 19 percent an ‘F.’ This is relatively unchanged from November 2021.
As for individual issue areas, Murphy continues to get his highest marks on his handling of the pandemic – albeit a ‘B-’ average: 30 percent of New Jerseyans give him an ‘A,’ 22 percent a ‘B,’ 13 percent a ‘C,’ 10 percent a ‘D,’ and 25 percent an ‘F.’ After an initial drop-off between October 2020 and May 2021, his pandemic grade has changed little from last spring.
Murphy gets his next highest grade on education and schools (20 percent ‘A,’ 30 percent ‘B’), earning him a ‘C+’ on this issue, on average.
Murphy also earns solid marks for health care (18 percent ‘A,’ 23 percent ‘B’), the environment (15 percent ‘A,’ 26 percent ‘B’), the economy and jobs (12 percent ‘A,’ 26 percent ‘B’), crime and safety (10 percent ‘A,’ 28 percent ‘B’), mental health and addiction (10 percent ‘A,’ 22 percent ‘B’), and transportation and infrastructure (9 percent ‘A,’ 26 percent ‘B’). His average grade in all but one of these areas is a ‘C’; New Jerseyans give him a ‘C-’ for mental health and addiction.
Murphy gets lower grades on the state budget (6 percent ‘A,’ 22 percent ‘B’); one in five New Jerseyans fail him in this area, making him a ‘C-’ student on this issue, on average.
The Governor earns his lowest marks on his handling of taxes and cost of living and affordability. When it comes to taxes, New Jerseyans, on average, give him a ‘D+’: just 4 percent give him an ‘A,’ 15 percent a ‘B,’ 21 percent a ‘C,’ 15 percent a ‘D,’ and 41 percent an ‘F.’ Similarly, residents give him a ‘D,’ on average, when it comes to cost of living and affordability: just 4 percent give him an ‘A,’ 15 percent a ‘B,’ 20 percent a ‘C,’ 15 percent a ‘D,’ and 45 percent an ‘F.’
Results are from a statewide poll of 1,044 adults contacted by live interviewers on landlines and cell phones from February 25 – March 4. The full sample has a margin of error of +/- 3.5 percentage points.
View the full report. |
New Jersey could not have a better person at the helm of our state than Phil Murphy.
Our Governor displays and has displayed since taking office in 2018 a genuine caring and concern for our residents from the very young to the most senior.
We must always remember that in early March, 2020 Murphy was subject to a serious medical procedure and with the advent of the severity of the Corona virus moved directly into action to assist our people.
I have been around for a while and can relate that polls are not accurate at all time depending the area and scope of the poll.
Be that as it may, we stand behind our great Governor Phil Murphy.
Bob Knapp, Jersey City