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.
Daggett's loss of favor among Republicans coincides with a slight jump in Christie's standing. The Republican now leads Corzine 42 percent to 38 percent with Daggett at 13 percent. Two weeks ago, the PPP poll had Christie leading Corzine by just 1 percentage point, 40 percent to 39 percent, with Daggett holding steady at 13 percent.
Daggett's vote share has varied from poll to poll. A Rutgers-Eagleton poll released last week had it as high as 20 percent, and there is debate about how many of his backers will ultimately show up and vote for him on Election Day. Polling in the state this month has, however, consistently found Corzine and Christie locked in a virtual tie, with neither gaining leads much outside the margin of error and both hovering around 40 percent.
None of the candidates are held in particularly high esteem by the electorate -- Christie's favorable/unfavorable rating was split 45 percent to 44 percent while Corzine is still viewed unfavorably by a strong majority of voters, 33 percent favorable to 60 percent unfavorable.
CQ Politics currently rates the race a Tossup.
To follow the 2009 and 2010 governors' races, check out CQ Politics' election map.
-- Emily Cadei
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