A second straight of Monmouth poll numbers could be possible foreshadowing Blue New Jersey turning Red in the the 2023 and 2024 elections.
The Jersey Shore polling outfit released the results of polling Aug. 17 showing that public opinion of federal officeholders in New Jersey has dipped in the past year,—and Sen. Bob Menendez is the only one who has lost ground with fellow Democrats.
Most respondents to the survey feel a current federal investigation involving the state’s senior senator has at least some impact on his ability to serve. Other poll results show that Sen. Cory Booker retains a net positive rating in the state but has lost ground with independents and Republicans, while President Joe Biden has gone from a split rating to a more negative view mainly due to a decline among independents.
Menendez Dropping
For the New Jersey residents only poll, Menendez received a 35% approval score and 44% disapproval rating from all New Jersey adults—numbers that are the same for registered voters. This marks a reversal from April 22 when 44% approve and 39% disapprove among voters in April 2022.
Menendez has seen his ratings decline among all partisan groups over the past year. While fellow Democrats still give the senator a net positive rating, his approval number has dropped eight points to 58% and his disapproval number has increased seven points to 23%.
Federal Investigation
Menendez has a 29% approval and 45% disapproval rating among Independents; his numbers with Republicans currently stand at 14% approve/74% disapprove. The results from Independents and GOP voters are more negative than his ratings from these groups last year.
A majority of New Jerseyans (57%) have heard about Menendez being under a current federal investigation. Six in 10 believe the investigation affects his ability to serve the state either a great deal (27%) or somewhat (33%).
Majorities of Republicans (55%), Democrats (60%) and Independents (61%) feel the current investigation has at least some impact on Menendez’s ability to serve the state, with Republicans (36%) being more likely than Democrats (19%) to say it has a great deal of impact. Among those who were already aware of the investigation before being polled, 65% say it affects Menendez’s ability to serve, with only slight differences across partisan groups in this opinion.
“Federal Probe Is Having An Impact”
“Public opinion of Sen. Menendez has ranged from positive to evenly divided to negative at different points over the past eight years,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute. “The current poll results suggest news of a new federal probe is having an impact on that opinion, perhaps even more so than the last time he faced similar scrutiny.”
Monmouth pollsters noted the last time Menendez was under investigation, he continued to hold a slightly positive or evenly divided job rating from the time federal charges were filed against him (42% approve/38% disapprove in May 2015) through his eventual admonishment by the U.S. Senate’s ethics committee (37% approve and 38% disapprove in April 2018).
Menendez’s current job rating is currently lower than ratings he received during that time period. Although he won reelection by 11 points in 2018, his job rating dipped into negative territory the following year before returning to positive territory during the pandemic. His rating started to slip at the beginning of this year, with the current poll result being nearly identical to his prior career low in September 2019.
Booker Down as Well
But Menendez’ is not the only Democrat to his approval ratings slip—both Booker and Biden numbers dipped in August., The former Newark mayor received a job rating of 46% approve and 40% disapprove from all New Jersey adults and 47% approve and 40% disapprove from registered voters. This marks the first time since 2019 that Booker’s approval rating has dipped below 50%—it stood at 55% last year.
Booker’s rating among Democrats has held steady (currently 83% approve and 9% disapprove), but his net rating has gone from positive to negative among Independents (now at 37% approve and 44% disapprove) and grown even more negative than it was among Republicans (now 13% approve and 76% disapprove).
The President’s job rating currently stands at 41% approve and 52% disapprove among all adults and registered voters alike. Last year, he received a narrowly divided 47% approve and 49% disapprove rating from New Jersey voters. The president continues to earn the approval of 8 in 10 Democrats (81%) and almost no Republicans (5%), which is similar to last year. The decline in Biden’s overall rating is driven mainly by an eight-point drop from last year in his approval number among Garden State Independents (29%).
Concerns About 2023
The poll follows a Monmouth poll released Aug. 16 showing Gof. Phil Murphy’s overall job performance rating stands at 50% approve and 39% disapprove among all New Jersey adults and 50% approve and 40% disapprove among registered voters. These numbers, while remaining positive, are down slightly since the start of his second term last year and more in line with voter opinion during his 2021 reelection campaign.
Additionally, residents gave a thumbs down to the performance of state legislature’s in Trenton, where Democrats control both houses. The approval rating has dipped in the past year and now stands at 37% approve (from 44% in April 2022), and 45% disapprove (from 39%). The current result is similar to public opinion of the legislature in 2019 polling.
All 120 lawmakers serving in the State Senate and Assembly are up for election this off-year. The polling will undoubtedly bolster Republicans, hoping to capitalize on issues such as offshore wind farms and parental rights in education, who believe they have a chance to capture one if not both houses after redistricting.
The Murphy is turning NJ purple – at least; a homely NJ copy of the California governor’s policies; Murphy is the worst of a bad class of politicians; he has no speaking skills on his feet; he does not meet face to face with critics; he bought the election (along with the ambassador job in Germany); a bored rich man who spent his life working for the worst and most rapacious Wall street money men; he hired a few woke ivy leaguers who tell him what to do; and he is killing the democrat party here: plastic bags, eviction ban; killing small businesses (and sea mammals) like landlords with more and more regulation, I could go on, but Murphy is the worst.
lol are Republicans contractually obligated to use “woke” in everything they say? What does it even mean? Anyone who doesn’t toe the official Republican Party Line in 2023 is “woke”. I heard insurance companies are “woke” now for no longer wanting to insure properties that are increasingly getting wiped out by hurricanes. If someone cuts you off in traffic they’re “woke”. When an air conditioner drips gross water on you, the air conditioner is “woke”. I stubbed my toe on the foot of my “woke” kitchen table this morning…
As far as “killing small businesses” – NJ was just shot up the list of states that are good for businesses in 2023. People here aren’t afraid of getting cancelled by the right-wing mob who harass Target employees for shelving the same merchandise they have for the last 10+ years just because they’re offended.
And “killing sea mammals”? Give me a break. There have been a huge increase in beached whales all over the world because our oceans are hotter than they’ve ever been. Yet the right has no problem continuing developing legacy fossil fuels. They aren’t even calling on a moratorium so that “more studies can be done”. This is so disingenuous.