Chris Christie has the lowest approval rating for any governor in Quinnipiac's entire history

Chris Christie.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is historically disliked, a Quinnipiac University Poll released Tuesday has found. The Republican governor is disapproved of by New Jersey voters 77 percent to 19 percent, the lowest rating recorded for any governor in Quinnipiac's more than 20 years of polling.

"How the mighty have fallen," assistant poll director Maurice Carroll wrote. "Remember four years ago, when Republican leaders were pleading with … Christie to run for president and he looked like a sure thing for reelection — which he was?" Christie's national stock took a huge hit in late 2013, when his aides were found to have closed off access to the George Washington Bridge in an apparent attempt at retaliating against a political foe.

Voters said 71 to 22 percent that Christie knew his aides were causing "Bridgegate," with 48-43 saying he personally ordered the 2013 fiasco. Christie recorded negative ratings from every party, gender, race, or age group measured. Democrats held the lowest opinion of the governor, with only 9 percent approving of him and 90 percent disapproving.

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While Christie once had presidential hopes, and then hoped to join President-elect Donald Trump's administration after losing to Trump in the Republican primary, New Jersey voters agree 69 percent to 24 percent that their governor should not be offered a position in the White House. "The [governor]'s job approval numbers get worse every time anyone looks. The last time we looked, May 18, he had a 64-29 percent disapproval rating," Carroll said. "This could be a long final year for Gov. Christie."

The survey was conducted between Nov. 28 and Dec. 4, reaching 1,218 voters in the Garden State by phone. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.7 percent.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.