First Poll Of 2021 Shows Gov. Phil Murphy In Strong Position for Re-Election

The first poll of the election year shows New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is in a strong position for his re-election campaign. The Stockton University Poll released this week said nearly 6 in 10 New Jerseyans approve of the job Gov. Murphy is doing, reflecting the confidence New Jerseyans have in Gov. Murphy’s strong, no-nonsense leadership.

Despite unprecedented challenges during the COVID crisis, Gov. Murphy fulfilled campaign promises and delivered progressive change for New Jersey – enshrining ACA protections into law, instituting a millionaires tax, boosting the minimum wage to $15/hr by 2024, and enacting sweeping climate reforms. Gov. Murphy also signed into law an expansion of voting rights, a stark contrast to Republican efforts across the country to limit access to the ballot box and disenfranchise Black voters.

And when the worst public health crisis in a century hit, Gov. Murphy took decisive action. “There’s a sense that people got that when the chips were down, he stood tall and did what he had to do,”said the executive director of the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University.

It’s clear from this polling that New Jerseyans want to continue moving the state forward under Gov. Murphy’s leadership. 

Meanwhile, Republicans are in a race to the right, with Jack Ciattarelli and Hirsh Singh embracing radical conspiracy theories in an attempt to win over Trump’s far-right base.

“Gov. Murphy’s high approval ratings are a testament to his steadfast leadership,” said DGA Senior Communications Advisor Christina Amestoy. “From Day One, Gov. Murphy has delivered for New Jerseyans – raising the minimum wage, protecting access to affordable health care, expanding voting rights, and putting public health above partisanship during the pandemic. Gov. Murphy is the right person to continue leading New Jersey out of this crisis and towards a strong economic recovery.”