June 4 Poll: Christie Leads Corzine

June 4, 2009 -- Fresh from his primary victory over Steve Lonegan, Republican Chris Christie enjoys a double-digit lead over Democrat Jon Corzine in the New Jersey Governor’s race.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the state shows Christie with 51% of the vote while Corzine is supported by 38%. Last month, before the primary, it was Christie with 47% of the vote and Corzine with 38%. The slight increase in support for Christie may reflect a temporary bounce from his primary victory.

Still, voters recognize that it’s tough for a Republican to win statewide races in the Garden State. Just 43% say that Christie is likely to end up as the next governor while 41% say Corzine will be re-elected. New Jersey polls often show Republican candidates doing well in the spring with Democrats gaining ground in the fall. Corzine is expected to heavily outspend Christie which could add to that trend.

A Republican has not won a statewide election in the Garden State since 1997.

Fifty-three percent (53%) have at least a somewhat favorable opinion of Christie while 41% say the same about Corzine. Christie’s numbers are up a couple of points since mid-May while Corzine’s are down three.

Neither man has a huge base of committed supporters. Just 14% have a Very Favorable opinion of Corzine and 12% are that upbeat in their assessment of Christie.

Christie’s biggest advantage may be Corzine’s negatives. Thirty-seven percent (37%) of voters statewide have a Very Unfavorable view of their governor. Just 12% are that negative about the GOP challenger. It is very difficult for an incumbent to bring down his own negative ratings during a campaign so it is likely the Corzine campaign will try to increase Christie’s negatives.

By a 48% to 33% margin, voters say they trust Christie more than Corzine on taxes. The gap is a bit wider on the topic of cutting government spending—50% trust Christie more while 27% trust Corzine. By a 55% to 28% margin, Christie is seen as the candidate most likely to cut down on government corruption. New polling shows that government corruption and ethics reform is the top issue for unaffiliated voters nationwide.

Overall, 42% say they at least somewhat approve of the job Corzine’s been doing. That’s up two points from a month ago and nine points from three months ago.

Those figures include 16% who Strongly Approve and 41% who Strongly Disapprove.