Majority of Voters Cite Taxes or Affordability as New Jersey’s Top Problems; Over Half Say State Is on the Wrong Track

Gov. Phil Murphy and President Donald Trump garner mixed reviews among likely voters

With less than two weeks to go until Election Day, taxes and affordability top the list of the most important problems facing New Jersey, according to the latest Rutgers-Eagleton Poll.

Thirty-six percent of likely voters point to taxes as the top problem and 21% say it is affordability.

Other issues don't come close. Six percent point to the affordability of housing specifically, another 6% cite President Donald Trump and Make America Great Again (MAGA) ideology, 5% say electric and utility costs, and 4% say the economy overall. Three percent each point to Democrats or liberalism, state or federal government problems, or education. Two percent say overdevelopment and congestion.

"Taxes have been the No. 1 problem for New Jerseyans for the past decade in our polling," said Ashley Koning, an assistant research professor and director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Pollingat Rutgers University-New Brunswick. "It's no surprise that these kitchen table issues have once again taken center stage in the governor's race as New Jerseyans feel the fiscal pinch now more than ever between the national and state economy, plus rising utility rates."

Fifty-five percent of likely voters say New Jersey is on the wrong track, while 35% say the state is moving in the right direction. Ten percent say they don't know.

"Between positive and negative outlooks on the state, there is a sizeable 20-point gap among likely voters," Koning said. "Their dissatisfaction with the state's direction likely reflects a desire for change in Trenton, but the question is in which direction."

Demographic factors continue to influence how respondents view the issues. While two-thirds of Democrats (67%) say the state is heading in the right direction, nearly 9 in 10 Republicans (89%) and nearly 6 in 10 independents (58%) say it is on the wrong track.

The majority of men say the state is on the wrong track (61% wrong track, 28% right direction), while women are more split (50% wrong track, 41% right direction). Similarly, white voters say wrong track (59% versus 32% right direction), while nonwhite voters are split (48% say wrong track, 41% right direction).

Gov. Phil Murphy garners mixed reviews nearing the end of his gubernatorial tenure. Thirty-eight percent of likely voters have a favorable impression of him, 47% have an unfavorable one and 15% have no opinion. (The percentages are 39%, 44%, and 17%, respectively, among registered voters.) The governor's approval ratings parallel his favorability. Four in 10 likely voters say they approve of the way he is handling his job (40%), half disapprove (50%) and 1 in 10 say they don't know (10%). (The percentages are 41%, 48% and 11%, respectively, among registered voters).

As for Trump, 40% of likely voters view him favorably, 53% unfavorably, and 8% have no opinion. (The percentages are 38%, 53%, and 9%, respectively, among registered voters.) The president's job approval ratings also parallel his favorability: 41% approve, 54% disapprove, and 5% say they don't know. (The percentages are 39%, 55%, and 6%, respectively, among registered voters.)

Likely voters are divided on U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, with 41% saying they have a favorable impression of him and 47% having an unfavorable one. Eight percent have no opinion and 4% say they don't know who he is. Forty-three percent approve of the way Booker is handling his job as senator, 47% disapprove and 10% say they don't know.

Likely voters are more positive about U.S. Sen. Andy Kim, though a sizeable number still don't have an opinion on or don't know the junior senator. Forty-five percent have a favorable view of Kim, 25% an unfavorable one, 17% have no opinion and 13% say they don't know him. Kim's approval numbers are similar to his favorability: 44% approve of the job he is doing, 25% disapprove and 31% say they don't know.

Majorities of Democrats give positive favorability and approval to the governor and senators and negative ratings to the president, while Republicans say the opposite. Independents are more negative than positive about Trump and more positive than negative about Kim, though many still don't have an impression of or know the senator.

Results are from a statewide poll of 795 voters contacted via live calling and texting from Oct. 3 to Oct. 17. The likely voter sample has a margin of error of +/- 4.7 percentage points. The registered voter sample has a margin of error of +/- 4.6 percentage points.