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Poll: Christie would trounce Booker, and Bruce Springsteen, in NJ governor's race
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is the clear favorite for reelection in 2013, with a new poll showing him opening a double-digit lead over the top Democrats in the field, including Newark Mayor Cory Booker. In fact, Christie's polling numbers have swelled in the wake of Superstorm Sandy to the point he would even trounce his childhood idol Bruce Springsteen in a hypothetical matchup.
The poll, released Friday by Democratic firm Public Policy polling, showed that 67 percent of New Jersey voters approve of the job Christie is doing, with only a quarter of Garden State voters disapproving of his performance. That includes 65 percent of independents and even 56 percent of Democrats who have a favorable opinion of Christie, higher than any other governor that the polling firm has surveyed nationwide. Nearly nine in 10 voters approve of Christie's handling of the storm.
That's translated into a strong showing at the polls buoying Christie's reelection prospects. He leads Booker, a rising star in the Democratic Party, 50-36 percent in the polls, while besting former Gov. Richard Codey 53-31, New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney 57-20, and State Senator Barbara Buono 60-20.
While Booker is the favorite among Democratic primary voters, with 46 percent saying they want him as their candidate, the Newark mayor could be scared off by Christie's commanding numbers. When PPP polled the 2014 U.S. Senate race, Booker emerged as the clear favorite to win that seat, so he may choose not to tangle with the incumbent governor in 2013.
Winning reelection would also give Christie a launchpad for a possible 2016 presidential run, although voters in his home state remain wary of the possibility. Only 38 percent of those surveyed say they want to see him run for the White House, while 44 percent say they're against him seeking the Republican nomination.
Christie would trail Hillary Clinton in a hypothetical presidential race, 52-40 percent, although he is favored by six points over Vice President Biden and 15 points over New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Christie would be the clear favorite in the 2016 Republican primary, however. Nearly half of the state Republicans say he would get their vote, versus 14 percent for Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and 10 percent for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
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