A majority of the state is with him.

Gov. Phil Murphy gave up on his plan for a millionaires tax last year after a bruising battle with fellow Democrats who lead the state Legislature that almost plunged New Jersey into a government shutdown.

But after Murphy again proposed a bump in the tax rate for incomes that exceed $1 million last month, a new poll shows seven-in-ten people in the Garden State back his plan, according to the joint Rutgers University’s Eagleton Institute of Politics and Fairleigh Dickinson University poll released Thursday.

Forty-six percent “strongly” support a millionaires tax and another 26 percent “somewhat” back it, according to the poll. Only 14 percent either strongly or somewhat oppose the measure.

“Support is just as strong for a millionaires tax as it was a year-and-a-half ago," Ashley Koning, assistant research professor and director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling, said. “This may change as more details are released and as the proposal plays out in the Legislature in the coming months, but as of now, this could be the major win that Murphy needs – at least in the public’s eyes.”

Support for increasing the tax splits largely along party lines.

According to the poll, Democrats heavily favor it with 64 percent in strong support and 26 percent who say they somewhat support it. Independent support comes in at 42 percent strongly in favor and another 26 percent who said somewhat support the proposal.

Republicans, meanwhile, oppose it 51 percent to 48 percent, according to the poll.

Last month, Murphy renewed his call to increase taxes on people who earn more than $1 million a year in New Jersey as he unveiled his second state budget proposal. Unlike last year, this budget plan is free of other major tax hikes.

But state Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, and state Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex signaled they still don’t have an appetite for a millionaires tax.

In his first budget, Murphy called for both a millionaires tax and a bump in the state’s sales tax to raise funds for public education, transportation, and public worker pensions. But Democratic leaders balked.

Ultimately, Murphy dropped the sales tax plan and agreed to raise taxes only on people who earn more than $5 million a year — which narrowly avoided what would have been the second state government shutdown in two years.

The joint poll surveyed 1,203 people between March 7 and 22, 621 were contacted by live callers on both landlines and cell phones and 582 through an online probability-based panel. It has a combined margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.

NJ Advance Media staff writer Brent Johnson contributed to this report.

Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook.

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