Republicans are getting ready to have little to cheer about when voters hit the polls on Tuesday, but there is one GOP leader who is set to have a big political win.
While Democrats prepare to win their first New York City mayoral race since 1989 and get ready to pick up the governorship of Virginia, Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey appears headed for a landslide win in the Garden State, possibly setting the stage for a bid for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016.
Quinnipiac University released a poll of likely New Jersey voters this week which found Christie cruising over Democratic opponent state Sen. Barbara Buono. Christie pulls 64 percent of those surveyed while Buono can only muster 31 percent in what has traditionally been a blue state in recent years.
The poll also finds New Jersey voters have no problem with Christie making a presidential bid, with 48 percent saying he should run in 2016 while 41 percent oppose the idea.
"From the banks of the Delaware to the beaches of the Atlantic, New Jersey voters like their governor, Christopher Christie, insisted Maurice Carroll, the director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. On the banks of the Potomac? Less like the governor, but still a lot.
"The election looks like a runaway. Even almost a third of Democrats pick Christie over State Senator Barbara Buono, Carroll continued. She's been an energetic campaigner, but more than a third of voters don't know enough about her to decide whether or not they like her.
While 71 percent of New Jersey Republicans say Christie would make a good president, 70 percent of Democrats say he would not do well in the White House. Independents slightly break Christies way with 43 percent saying he would make a good president while 39 percent say he would not.
New Jersey likely voters are divided 42-to-43 percent on whether Christie would make a good president. Republicans say yes, 71-to-17 percent while Democrats say no, 70-to-19 percent. Independent voters are divided, as 43 percent say yes and 39 percent say no.
The poll of 1,203 likely New Jersey voters was taken from Oct. 21-27 and had a margin of error of +/- 2.8 percent.
Christie is certainly inching closer toward making a presidential run. In recent days, he has refused to promise to serve a full second term.
While their conservatives have grumbled about Christies record, including his cooperation with President Barack Obama on Hurricane Sandy in the final days of last years presidential election, the Garden State governor has been one of the leaders in polls on the 2016 Republican field.
This week, a poll from Harper Polling showed Christie was leading the Republican pack in South Carolina which traditionally holds the first primary after Iowa and New Hampshire. Christie took 19 percent of Republicans followed by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, with 17 percent. U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., placed third with 13 percent followed by U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., with 12 percent each. The Republican sample comes from a poll taken by Harper Oct. 27-28 of 676 likely South Carolina voters. It had a margin of +/- 3.77 percent.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com.
