Gov. Phil Murphy’s approval rating skyrockets to all-time high during coronavirus crisis
https://www.nj.com/coronavirus/2020...virus-crisis-skyrockets-to-all-time-high.html
Updated Apr 21, 2020; Posted Apr 21, 2020
By Brent Johnson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Gov. Phil Murphy’s approval ratings in New Jersey have skyrocketed during the coronavirus pandemic to the highest he’s seen since becoming governor in January 2018, a new poll shows.
And the Monmouth University poll released Tuesday morning also found a vast majority of Garden State residents agree with the unprecedented lockdown measures Murphy has instituted to combat COVID-19.
The survey shows 71% of adult residents approve of the job the Democratic governor is doing — a 30-point increase from September.
That gives Murphy number similar numbers to the high grades his Republican predecessor, Gov. Chris Christie, got following Hurricane Sandy. Christie’s rating grew as high as 73% in a January 2013 poll.
Murphy’s highest previous approval rating was 54% in October 2018, in a Quinnipiac University Poll.
Tuesday’s poll found a number of elected officials have seen their approvals tick up during the COVID-19 pandemic — U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Robert Menendez, the state Legislature, and even President Donald Trump.
But none witnessed a larger jump than Murphy, who had seen middle-of-the-road approval ratings and name recognition his first two years after succeeding Christie.
“Not only are Murphy’s approval numbers up, but more New Jerseyans are taking notice than during the first two years of his term," said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute. “Leadership becomes much more relevant in a crisis, and Murphy is getting solid reviews for his response.”
The survey shows more residents approve of New Jersey’s response to the outbreak than the federal government’s reaction. Nearly 8 in 10 New Jerseyans say Murphy has done well.
A majority of residents even agree with the governor’s controversial decision to close state parks. Still, the state’s coronavirus testing draws negative grades.
The poll was released on the one-month anniversary of Murphy’s orders for New Jersey residents to stay home and nonessential businesses to close until further notice.
There has been record unemployment and business losses in the wake of similar orders across America, as well as protests in numerous states.
But Murray, the pollster, said the survey shows “these protestors represent an incredibly small sliver” of New Jersey residents.
“The vast majority are united in their support for social-distancing measures to protect the health of their fellow New Jerseyans,” Murray said.
As of Monday, New Jersey has the second-highest number of COVID-19 cases (88,806) and deaths (4,377) among U.S. states, after New York. But it’s difficult to know exactly how much the virus has spread in the state because of a lack of widespread testing.
The survey found 71% of adults approve of Murphy’s overall job performance, while 21% disapprove and 8% have no opinion. In Monmouth’s last poll, from September, Murphy’s numbers were 41% approval, 38% disapproval, and 21% no opinion.
Murphy’s approval also increased 21 percentage points among Democrats (71% in September to 92% now), by 41 percentage points among independents (28% to 69%), and 29 percentage points among Republicans (from 16% to 45%).
Meanwhile, 79% say Murphy has done a good job handling the pandemic, while 10% say he’s done a bad job. That’s a little higher than the average for all 50 U.S. governors (72%) in a Monmouth poll from earlier this month.
As for Murphy’s individual orders? Nearly 9 in 10 residents approve of the following restrictions: 97% for requiring people to keep a distance of 6 feet, 95% for requiring a face covering in public, 88% for banning all gatherings, 94% for limiting restaurants to takeout and delivery, 94% for closing gyms, 89% for closing libraries, 88% for closing child-care centers, 86% for closing nonessential retail stores, and 89% for delaying the state’s primary elections.
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