Chris Christie’s New Jersey problem

A plurality of New Jersey voters hold an unfavorable view of Gov. Chris Christie (R), according to a new Rutgers-Eagleton Poll released Tuesday. 

New Jersey voters view Christie unfavorably 45 percent to 42 percent, a 7-percentage-point drop in his favorability rating over the past two months. It’s the lowest point for the rating in three years, according to the poll. 

{mosads}Approval for the New Jersey governor has also fallen, with 49 percent approving of his job performance and 46 percent disapproving. 

Only 37 percent approve of how Christie has handled the state’s budget, down 6 points since the beginning of this year. Just 24 percent of voters approve of how he’s handled his state’s pension crisis, funding for which Christie has cut to balance the budget.

Christie’s favorability among independents has fallen to 44 percent, down 8 points from August.

The falling numbers could raise questions over Christie’s prospects as a presidential candidate in 2016.

He has tried to move beyond allegations that he knew about or was involved in the closing of traffic lanes on the George Washington Bridge. The scandal last year was a major hit on his 2016 prospects, but a report last month said federal investigators had found no evidence linking him to the incident.

A Quinnipiac poll released earlier this month shows Christie trailing former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton among New Jersey voters 40 percent to 50 percent in a 2016 match-up.

The Rutgers-Eagleton survey of 734 registered voters was conducted via landlines and cellphones between Sept. 29 and Oct. 5 with a margin of error plus or minus 4.2 percentage points. View the full results here.