Democratic candidate Phil Murphy is polling at 57 percent, good for 20 points better than Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno in the gubernatorial race in New Jersey, according to the latest Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday.
Guadagno made up five points since the last survey taken in September, according to Quinnipiac.
Gov. Chris Christie's low approval ratings are a likely albatross for Guadagno; the termed-out Christie carries just a 15 percent approval rating, including 57 percent of Republicans who disapprove.
Also, women are a driving force behind Murphy's big lead.
The poll results of likely voters, according to Quinnipiac:
- 65 percent of women surveyed support Murphy.
- 49 percent of men support Murphy; 45 percent support Guadagno.
- 52 percent of independents support Murphy.
"Lt. Gov. Guadagno could not be in a worse situation," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll. "What's more, politics is a team game. Guadagno's GOP teammates — President Donald Trump, with a 33 percent job approval rating, and Gov. Christopher Christie, with his 15 percent approval rating — are clearly pulling her down."
The RealClearPolitics composite has Murphy up by 16 points.
The election is Nov. 7.
From Oct. 19-24, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,049 New Jersey likely voters with a margin of error of 4.2 percentage points.
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