Independent Chris Daggett continues to poll in double digits in the New Jersey governor's race in a new Quinnipiac University poll conducted Oct. 27 to Nov. 1. And the poll found that a higher proportion of Daggett voters now rate incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine, D, as their second choice over Republican challenger Chris Christie.

Christie has a narrow lead in the Quinnipiac poll over Corzine 42 to 40 percent, within the 2.5 percent margin of error. Both men have essentially the same proportion of support from their party's likely voters, while Christie has the support of independents, 47 percent to 32 percent for Corzine.

Daggett received 12 percent of the vote, down a point from the 13 percent he polled in a survey the firm released Oct. 28. That largely echoes poll results released Thursday by Fairleigh Dickinson University.

The latest Fairleigh Dickinson University poll, conducted Oct. 22 through 28, finds the race for New Jersey governor where it's been for most of the month: deadlocked.

In a three-way race, Republican challenger Chris Christie leads Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine 41 percent to 39 among likely voters, including those leaning one way or the other. Independent Chris Daggett takes 14 percent of the vote. The margin of error is 4 percent.

Christie continues to lead among independent voters, at 37 percent, with Daggett at 27 percent and Corzine at 22 percent. Daggett receives the support of 13 percent each of Democrats and Republican likely voters.

New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine has taken a statistically significant lead over Republican Chris Christie, according to a Quinnipiac University poll conducted Oct. 20 to 26.

The poll found that the Democratic governor was favored by 43 percent of likely voters, compared with 38 percent who favored his GOP challenger. The margin of error was 2.8 percent.

Christie, a former U.S. attorney, led Corzine all summer, but was in a virtual tie -- 41 to 40 percent -- in Quinnipiac's last poll released Oct. 14. Independent Chris Daggett's support among likely voters seems locked in the low teens --13 percent of respondents said they would vote for him, a drop of one percent from the poll two weeks ago.

Independent candidate Chris Daggett is now drawing away more likely supporters of Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine than Republican Chris Christie with a week to go in New Jersey's governor's race, according to a survey of likely voters from Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling, conducted Oct. 23-26.

Daggett, who remains perhaps the biggest wild card in the race, has been steadily cutting into Christie's support over the last month, but when PPP asked likely Daggett voters who their second choice in the race is, 44 percent said Corzine, to 32 percent for Christie. The margin of error is 3.9 percent.

Daggett also now has a negative favorability rating, 31 percent favorable to 36 percent unfavorable, the poll found. Thirty-four percent had no opinion. That is a switch from the positive 30 percent to 24 percent favorable rating he had two weeks ago. And "the climb in people rating him unfavorably has come largely among Republicans," PPP noted in its analysis, surmising that it was the result of ads run by the Republican Governor's Association against Daggett.

Independent candidate Chris Daggett's support now reaches 20 percent when likely voters leaning one way or the other are included in the count, says a new Rutgers-Eagleton poll of the New Jersey governors race, conducted Oct. 15-20.

That is bad news for Republican Chris Christie, who trails incumbent Democrat Jon Corzine by 3 percent, within the plus or minus 4.1 percent margin of error. Neither major party candidate breaks 40 percent of the vote share -- Corzine leads 39 tpercent to 36 percent for Christie -- underscoring the dissatisfaction voters feel with both candidates and driving support to the third-party option.

Corzine still has negative approval ratings -- 70 percent of likely voters rate his job performance fair or poor -- and his support has not wavered much in the polls. But Christie has seen a drop in support since the summer, and part of the reason has been Daggett's rise. Among those voters who told the Rutgers-Eagleton poll they were backing the independent, 34 percent said they would vote for Christie if Daggett were not in the race; 28 percent would back Corzine; and 24 percent said they wouldn't vote.

New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine's rise in the polls continues, according to a survey conducted Oct. 15-18 by Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey, which now shows his re-election race against Republican Chris Christie tied at 39 percent among likely voters.

Independent Chris Daggett's vote share has jumped into the teens, a finding that echoes other polls released this month on the governor's contest, while 7 percent remain undecided. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percent.

The last Monmouth poll, released at the beginning of October, showed Corzine within the margin of error but still trailing Christie, 40 percent to 43 percent.

The New Jersey electorate is still in flux about its choice for governor, according to findings in two new polls from the New York Times and Rasmussen Reports.

The New York Times poll, conducted Oct. 9 -13, found that 30 percent of likely voters might change their minds about their vote before the Nov. 3 election. The margin of error was plus or minus 4 percent.

And the Rasmussen Reports poll found that 20 percent of Republican Chris Christie's backers and 27 percent of those supporting Democrat incumbent Jon Corzine said they are not certain about their choice, while a whopping 57 percent of those backing independent Chris Daggett said they may still change their minds. Rasmussen's margin of error was also plus or minus 4 percent.

Independent candidate Chris Daggett's growing popularity among independents has cut into Republican Chris Christie's lead in the New Jersey governor's race, but a majority of Daggett voters may change their minds about backing him, according to Quinnipiac University poll conducted Oct. 7 through 12.

Christie, who has led in the polls against Daggett and Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine since the spring, has seen a drop in his support among likely independent voters, which is contributing to a narrowing gap with Corzine. The Quinnipiac poll found that between September and October, Christie's rate of support among independents fell from 45 percent to 41 percent, with Corzine holding steady at 32 percent and Daggett jumping from 16 percent to 20 percent.

All told, Christie now leads Corzine just 41 to 40 percent among likely voters, within the plus or minus 2.8 percent margin of error, with Daggett coming in at 14 percent. In the September Quinnipiac poll, Christie led Corzine 43 to 39 percent and Daggett earned 12 percent of the vote. That confirms other recent polls that show the race in a virtual tie.

Independent Chris Daggett could be the difference in the deadlocked race for New Jersey governor, according to a poll conducted Oct. 9 to 12 by the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling.

Daggett, who had a strong performance in the first debate and won the endorsement of the Newark Star-Ledger on Sunday, is polling at 13 percent among likely voters, a plurality of whom said they would otherwise lean toward Republican challenger Chris Christie. Asked who their second choice would be, 48 percent of Daggett voters said Christie, compared to 34 percent who said Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine. Eighteen percent were unsure.

All told, Christie now leads Corzine by a statistically insignificant 40 percent to 39 percent, confirming several other recent polls that show the race narrowing to a virtual tie after Christie lead all summer. Corzine trailed by nine points in the September PPP poll.

A Survey USA poll conducted Oct. 5-7 confirms that the New Jersey governor’s race is neck-and-neck between Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine and Republican Chris Christie.

With just 26 days until the election, Christie has a statistically insignificant lead over Corzine, 43 percent to 40 percent, among a mix of registered and likely voters. The margin of error was plus or minus 4 percent.

That survey of 1,000 adults echoes findings from a Fairleigh Dickinson poll released earlier this week that found Corzine ahead of Christie 38 percent to 37 percent. Corzine had been trailing Christie all summer.

The New Jersey governor’s race is in a virtual deadlock, according to a new poll of likely voters by Fairleigh Dickinson University conducted Sept. 28 to Oct 5.

Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine leads Republican challenger Chris Christie 38 percent to 37 percent, within the 4 percentage-point margin of error. Independent Chris Daggett is at 17 percent - including 20 percent of likely Democrats and 11 percent of likely Republicans.

It is the first time Corzine has led Christie, a former U.S. attorney, in the Farleigh Dickinson poll since January.

New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine is closing in on Republican challenger Chris Christie, a month out from the 2009 election, according to a new poll by Monmouth University-Gannett New Jersey conducted Sept. 24 to 29.

The tightening race adds further weight to the candidates' first debate, at 8 p.m. in Trenton, N.J.

The Monmouth-Gannett poll found that Christie now leads Corzine 43 percent to 40 percent, within the 4.3 percent margin of error. Independent Christopher Daggett snags 8 percent of the vote.

That echoes poll results from Quinnipiac University released Wednesday that showed Christie ahead of Corzine 43 percent to 39 percent.

New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine has closed the gap with Republican opponent Chris Christie to the closest it's been in month, according to a Quinnipiac University poll conducted Sept. 23 to 28.

Corzine now trails Christie 39 percent to 43 percent among likely voters as the campaign enters its final month.

That's an improvement for the incumbent from Sept. 1, when a Quinnipiac poll showed Corzine lagging behind Christie by 10 percentage points.

New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine trails Republican Chris Christie by 7 percentage points in a Sept. 21 Rasmussen Reports poll.

With less than six weeks remaining until Election Day, Christie, a former U.S. attorney, led Corzine 48 percent to 41 percent. An additional 6 percent of voters indicated support for Independent Chris Daggett, a former EPA administrator, and 5 percent remain undecided.

"The data suggests that a segment of the initially undecided voters may have already rejected Corzine and are now trying to decide whether to vote for Christie or Daggett," Rasmussen said.

Survey respondents indicated they trust Christie more than Corzine, who is vying for a second term, on taxes, government spending and government corruption.

Taxes remains the top concern of voters surveyed with 40 percent of respondents indicating it's the most important issue in the campaign. Christie has accused Corzine's administration of driving away residents and businesses by failing to rein in the state's high taxes.

The poll sampled the opinions of 500 likely voters.

CQ Politics rates the race Leans Republican.

To follow the 2009 and 2010 governors' races, check out CQ Politics' election map.

-- Rachel Kapochunas

Negative ratings for both New Jersey Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine and Republican challenger Chris Christie, a former U.S. attorney, have increased in the wake of campaign attacks, according to a Sept. 11-14 Public Policy Polling survey of state voters.

Christie’s unfavorable rating has risen from 32 percent seven weeks ago, according to PPP’s past survey, to 41 percent. Corzine’s 56 percent unfavorable rating is now at 60 percent. Christie also saw an increase in his favorability from 42 percent to 45 percent while Corzine saw a decrease from 33 percent to 32 percent. The poll’s margin of error is plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.

“Negative attacks appear to be succeeding in hurting both candidates’ standing with the voters,” Tom Jensen, spokesman for PPP, wrote in his online analysis.

Corzine recently released an ad which focused on improvements in the state’s economic climate, though it also hit out at Christie.

An increasing number of independents in New Jersey are describing themselves as undecided about the Nov. 3 race between Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine and former U.S. Attorney, Republican Chris Christie, according to a Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey poll of registered voters conducted Sept. 8-10.

The finding -- 17 percent of unaffiliated voters calling themselves uncertain, up from 12 percent in August -- is within the survey's error margin but "It could be a sign of increasing uncertainty about the challenger and bears watching," wrote Monmouth's Polling Institute's analysts wrote in their explanation of the poll.

The survey's overall margin of error is plus or minus 3.6 percentage points and for the smaller sample of likely voters, it is plus or minus 4.3 percentage points.

Not even a rash of ethics attacks on his Republican opponent has nudged New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine into positive approval territory, a Rasmussen poll shows.

Corzine's standing against Republican Chris Christie have him on the losing end, 46 percent to 38 percent, the Sept. 9 poll of 500 likely votes indicated.

Independent candidate Chris Daggett, a former EPA official, received an additional 6 percent in the survey and 10 percent of respondents indicated no preference. The poll's margin of error is plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.

Democrats recently struck out at Christie for failing to disclose a $46,000 loan he made to a colleague at the U.S. attorney's office. The colleague, Michele Brown, has since resigned.

Corzine, who is seeking a second term, has been mired in low approval ratings for some time, as state residents have expressed concern over the New Jersey's tough economic climate, unemployment, and high property taxes. Corzine received a 40 percent job approval rating and a 57 percent job disapproval rating in the survey.

A Democratic poll conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Sept. 8-9 paints a somewhat rosier picture for Corzine, showing him trailing Christie by 41 percent to 38 percent. The poll of 615 likely voters has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

CQ Politics rates the race Leans Republican.

To follow the 2009 and 2010 governors' races, check out CQ Politics' election map.

-- Rachel Kapochunas

With two months remaining until New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine stands for re-election, the incumbent continues to trail his Republican challenger, Chris Christie,, according to independent polls conducted by Quinnipiac University Aug. 25-30 and Fairleigh Dickinson University conducted Aug. 24-30.

Christie leads Corzine 47 percent to 42 percent in the Farleigh Dickinson PublicMind poll of 715 likely voters. The poll, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points, showed that New Jersey voters continue to hold concerns about the state's future. Nearly half of those surveyed, 49 percent, say the state is on the wrong track and 38 percent responded that it's headed the right way.

Voters have pinned blame for the state's struggling economy on Corzine, which has contributed to the Democratic governor's low personal approval ratings and the difficulty he faces in his re-election contest this year.

Republican challenger Chris Christie's lead over Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine in the New Jersey governor's race has shrunk slightly from 13 percentage points to 11, according to an Aug. 25 Rasmussen Reports poll of 500 likely voters.

Christie, a former federal prosecutor, led Corzine 47 percent to 36 percent in the latest poll, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points. In Rasmussen's early August poll, 50 percent favored Christie and 37 percent backed Corzine. The election is Nov. 3.

Rasmussen's analysis found that "leaners" are trending towards Corzine, who is seeking a second term. "Leaners" are defined as respondents who initially show no preference, but in a follow-up question indicate that they are leaning toward a candidate.

Campaign help from President Obama hasn't helped New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine improve his chances in this year's election, according to a poll from Research 2000/Daily Kos conducted Aug. 3-5.

The poll showed Republican Chris Christie leading by eight percentage points overall and by a wider margin among older voters.

Christie, a former federal prosecutor, was preferred by 48 percent of the likely voters polled, while Corzine was the choice of 40 percent with 9 percent undecided.

The poll's margin of error was 4 percentage points.

Republican Chris Christie’s lead over Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine continues to grow in New Jersey’s governor’s race, according to a July 29-Aug. 2 poll from Monmouth University.

Christie, a former U.S. attorney, leads Corzine 45 percent to 37 percent among likely voters, according to the poll. An additional 4 percent expressed a preference for Independent Chris Daggett, a former EPA administrator, and 13 percent were undecided.

Christie’s lead among likely voters, measured at 14 percent in the most recent poll, has expanded from 8 points in last month’s Monmouth University poll. Since the previous poll was conducted July 9-14, a widespread corruption bust has pervaded state politics and has negatively reflected on the sitting governor, who is running this fall for a second term. CQ Politics changed the rating of the race from Tossup to Leans Republican in the wake of the corruption scandal.

In the wake of last week's corruption scandal in New Jersey, a Public Policy Polling survey shows Republican challenger Chris Christie has meanwhile expanded his lead over Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine.

Christie, a former U.S. Attorney, leads Corzine 50 percent to 36 percent with 14 percent undecided in a survey of New Jersey voters conducted July 24-27. The poll's margin of error is 3 percentage points. Christie's lead is up from PPP's June survey, which showed Christie leading Corzine 51 percent to 41 percent with 9 percent undecided.

On July 23, 44 people, many of them Democratic lawmakers, were charged with corruption-related offenses in New Jersey. The poll gives no indication that the scandal has impacted voters' opinions, but the PPP survey is the first major independent poll released since the incident.

President Obama is scheduled to stump for Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine today, but a new poll from Monmouth University shows that it will take more than the president to save the vulnerable governor's campaign.

The poll, conducted July 9-14, found that 69 percent of likely voters said Obama's support for Corzine will have no impact on their decision whether or not to vote for the governor, who faces a strong challenge from Republican former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie.

Obama received a 59 percent job approval rating from likely voters surveyed while Corzine received a 41 percent favorability rating. Christie received a 50 percent favorability rating.

New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine's approval ratings have sunk to an all-time low, dragging down his chances against Republican challenger Chris Christie in this fall's gubernatorial race, a new Quinnipiac University Poll reports.

The poll, conducted July 8 through 12, found that 60 percent of likely voters disapprove of Corzine's job performance compared to 33 percent who approve, and that he now trails Christie 53 percent to 41 percent in their general election match-up.

That's a gain for Christie from the ten point lead - 50 percent to 40 percent - he held over Corzine in June.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie is leading New Jersey Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine 45 percent to 39 percent with 15 percent undecided, according to a Fairleigh Dickinson University poll conducted June 22-29. The margin of error is 3.5 points.

That's somewhat closer than a Public Policy Polling survey released Tuesday in which Christie led 51 percent to 41 percent, but Fairleigh Dickinson's Peter Woolley says "Even though it's early in the campaign, it is remarkable that a Republican is running ahead in New Jersey."

Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie remains unfamiliar to some voters in New Jersey, but they still prefer Christie over Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine in this year's race, according to a new survey from Public Policy Polling,.

A total of 25 percent of New Jersey voters surveyed June 27-29 did not express an opinion about Christie, a former U.S. Attorney who won his party's nomination June 2. But only 8 percent of voters indicated no opinion of the governor, who is seeking a second term in office. Corzine, who has been dragged down by the state's economic woes, had an unfavorable rating of 56 percent in the survey, and his favorable rating was 36 percent. Christie's unfavorable rating was 33 percent and his favorable was 43 percent.

Former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie leads Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine 51 percent to 39 percent with 8 percent undecided in a Strategic Vision poll conducted June 19-21.

Voters disapprove of Corzine's job performance by a 54 percent to 34 percent margin with 12 percent undecided and say the state is heading in the wrong direction by 59 percent to 28 percent.

To follow the 2009 and 2010 governors' races, check out CQ Politics' election map.

A new survey of voters in New Jersey offers no positive news for Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine: the incumbent's job approval ratings continue to drop and he trails his Republican opponent, former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie, by a 10 percent margin.

A Quinnipiac University poll of likely voters conducted June 3-8, following the state's June 2 primary, found Corzine trailing Christie 40 to 50 percent among likely voters. Quinnipiac notes that this is their first survey of likely voters, a more select sample than registered voters.

Corzine's job approval rating in the current survey was 36 percent and his disapproval rating was 56 percent.

Incumbent New Jersey Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine heads into the 2009 general election race as the underdog against Republican Chris Christie, according to a poll taken one day after Christie secured his party's nomination.

Christie, a former U.S. Attorney, led Corzine 51 to 38 percent in a Rasmussen Reports poll of likely state voters conducted June 3. Christie won the GOP primary race against conservative Steve Lonegan, former mayor of Bogota, on June 2. The margin of error is 4.5 points.

Former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie leads former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan 54 percent to 30 percent in the race for the GOP gubernatorial nomination that will be decided in tomorrow's primary, according to a Fairleigh Dickinson University poll conducted May 26-30.

The poll also looked at the ideological breakdown and stands on issue between those who support Christie or Lonegan. Christie is generally thought to have stronger support among moderates while Lonegan appeals to conservatives. The results:

Two polls on the New Jersey governor race today: one showing former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie with a solid lead over former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan for the GOP nomination and the other giving Christie the lead in a general election match-up with Gov. Jon Corzine.

Christie leads Lonegan 46 percent to 35 percent with 4 percent preferring some other candidate and 15 percent undecided in a Rasmussen Reports poll conducted May 27. The margin of error is 5 points. The primary is next Tuesday.

Former federal prosecutor Christopher Christie has increased his lead over former Bogota mayor Steve Lonegan with two weeks to go before Republicans go to the polls to choose their candidate for governor, according to a pair of new polls.

Quinnipiac University poll conducted May 12-18 put Christie ahead 56 percent to 33 percent. Assemblyman Rick Merkt got only 2 percent and 9 percent were undecided. Last month, Christie led Lonegan 46 percent to 37 percent.

A Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey survey, conducted May 13-18, had Christie leading 50 percent to 32 percent with 2 percent for Merkt and 16 percent undecided.

New Jersey Republican Chris Christie has pulled slightly ahead of incumbent Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine, according to a Monmonth University/Gannett New Jersey poll seven months before voters choose their next governor.

The survey of 690 registered voters taken April 23-27 had Christie, a former U.S. attorney, leading Corzine by 4 points, 39 percent to 35 percent.

But Corzine still held a small advantage, 37 percent to 33 percent, over Bogata Mayor Steve Lonegan, who is facing off against Christie in the Republican primary June 2. In January, the same poll showed Corzine leading Christie 38 percent to 36 percent, and put him way ahead of Lonegan, 45 percent to 29 percent.

Six weeks out from the June 2 primary for New Jersey governor, polls show Republican Chris Christie continuing to top his primary challengers as well as sitting Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine.

A poll of registered voters conducted April 14-20 by Quinnipiac University showed Christie, a former U.S. Attorney, besting his closest primary competitor by 9 percentage points. Christie led former Bogota, N.J. mayor Steven M. Lonegan 46 percent to 37 percent. State assemblyman Rick Merkt placed third among likely Republican voters with 2 percent of support.

Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine's approval ratings are stagnating among registered New Jersey voters. A Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind poll conducted March 30-April 5 showed that 40 percent of registered voters approved of Corzine's job as governor, while 49 percent disapprove. That matches Corzine's approval rating from the university poll released in March, though his disapproval rating is up slighting, from 46 percent.

A majority of voters - 71 percent -- also rated Corzine's job performance as fair or poor. Sixty-eight percent said the same thing in the March poll.

Voters displeasure with Corzine appears to stem in part from his handling of the state budget. Forty-four percent of voters think Corzine's proposed budget is bad for New Jersey, 24 percent think it is good, and 32 percent were unsure.

Voters in New York and New Jersey are not impressed with the jobs their Democratic governors are doing as they seek to turn around their respective states' struggling economies. That's the message the comes through in two new polls conducted by Rasmussen Reports, which show both approval rating for New York's David Paterson and New Jersey's Jon Corzine continuing to sink.

In New York, 39 percent of voters approve of the job Paterson has been doing as governor, compared to 59 percent who disapprove, based on the poll conducted March 11. Less than half - 45 percent -- of respondents blame Paterson's own poor performance for this, however. Thirty-five percent said it is due to the country's economic situation, while 19 percent weren't sure.

Recent polls have not been kind to New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine and the newest one, conducted March 4-9 by Quinnipiac University continues that trend. Former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie, who is seeking the Republican nod to challenge Corzine, leads him 46 percent to 37 percent with 15 percent undecided.

Christie's lead is built on several foundations: his support among fellow Republicans in a race against Corzine is 87 percent compared to Corzine's 69 percent among Democrats; independents favor Christie 49 percent to 31 percent; men support him 51 percent to 34 percent and whites follow suit by 54 percent to 30 percent.

Chistie's favorable to unfavorable ratio is 31 percent to 7 percent, but the percentage of those who haven't heard enough about him to have an opinion is 61 percent. Corzine is viewed unfavorably by a 50 percent to 38 percent ratio. Fifty percent of voters do not approve of the way Corzine is doing his job compared to 40 percent who do.

The disapproval numbers for New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine are on the rise and when he is matched in a trial heat against former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie, the presumed frontunner for the GOP nomination, Christie wins 41 percent to 32 percent with 27 percent undecided, according to a Fairleigh Dickinson University poll conducted Feb. 25 - March 2. A Quinnipiac University poll a month ago also showed Christie ahead.

Forty-six percent of registered voters in the state disapprove of the job Corzine is doing compared to 40 percent who approve and 13 percent undecided. Last November, Corzine had a positive approval to disapproval ratio of 46 percent to 37 percent.

New Jersey has trended strongly Democratic in statewide races for many years - and Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine, who is seeking re-election this year in the state's "off-year" election, may have to count on that if he is to win a second term. A Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday showed Corzine slipping behind former U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie, the front-runner for the Republican nomination, though the challenger also was far from the 50 percent mark.

Christie led Corzine by 44 percent to 38 percent in a poll of 1,173 New Jersey registered voters, with 16 percent voicing no opinion, 2 percent volunteering that they would vote for someone else and 1 percent volunteering that they would not vote. The 6 percentage-point margin in the hypothetical matchup is an exact reversal from that in a Nov. 19 Quinnipiac poll, which showed Corzine up by 42 percent to 36 percent.