Emerson Poll: Dem NJ Sen. Menendez Leads GOP's Hugin by 5 Points

Despite narrowly averting a corruption conviction because of a mistrial, incumbent Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., holds a 5-point edge on Republican Bob Hugin 47-42 in the latest Emerson College Poll.

The race for the New Jersey Senate seat is a close one with 7 percent still undecided and the poll containing a plus or minus 4 percent margin of error.

While Hugin might trail, he does trump Sen. Menendez on favorability by 6 points and unfavorability by a whopping 20 points. Hugin is plus-7 points favorable, while Sen. Menendez, likely due to the public corruption trial hanging over his candidacy, is minus-19 points unfavorable:

• Hugin 40 percent favorable, 33 percent unfavorable.
• Sen. Menendez 34 percent favorable, 53 percent unfavorable.

President Donald Trump's favorability rating is a minus-21 with 36 percent viewing him favorably and 57 percent unfavorably.

The poll was conducted by Emerson College, which surveyed 659 potential voters Oct. 24-26 with the 4 percentage point margin of error.

• John Gizzi: Corruption Helps GOP's Hugin Close in on NJ Sen. Menendez
• Q-Poll: Menendez Leads Hugin in NJ, But His Negatives Are High