Latest news out of New Jersey courtesy of the newest Stockton University poll:
While the New Jersey gubernatorial race has tightened slightly, Democrat Phil Murphy still leads Republican Kim Guadagno by 14 percentage points, according to a Stockton University poll released today.
Less than two weeks before the Nov. 7 election, Murphy leads by a 51-37 percent margin, with 8 percent undecided or not identifying a choice and 4 percent saying they will vote for someone else. In a Stockton poll released Oct. 13, Murphy led 51-33percent, an 18-point margin.
“Kim Guadagno’s numbers are going in the right direction. But at this point it appears he would have to claim virtually all of the undecided vote and some of Murphy’svotes to make the race competitive,” said Sharon Schulman, Executive Director of the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy.
About a quarter of respondents are not familiar with either major gubernatorial candidate. But name recognition grew since the Oct. 13 poll, and Murphy’s numbers have benefited. The Democrat went from a 36-26 percent favorable-to-unfavorable split to 43-30 percent positive rating in the new poll. Guadagno’s ratings were more negative in the earlier poll, at 37 percent unfavorable to 31 percent favorable. Her negatives have grown to 43 percent in the new poll, with 32 percent giving positive ratings.
The Stockton Polling Institute of the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy interviewed 525 New Jersey adults who are likely voters Oct. 18-24, 2017.Interviewers working from the Stockton University campus called landline and cell telephones. The statewide poll’s margin of error is +/- 4.3 percentage points.
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