Gov. Chris Christie. | AP Photo/Mel Evans Christie's approval rating hits an all-time low

JERSEY CITY — Gov. Chris Christie's approval rating has dropped to its lowest point yet and is approaching a record level for any New Jersey governor in recent memory, according to a new poll.

The Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind poll released Wednesday morning found that the Republican governor's approval rating stands at just 21 percent, down from 26 percent in July.


The new poll comes just days after Christie signed into law a 23-cent-per-gallon increase in the gas tax and as the Bridgegate trial has dominated the news with negative headlines about his administration’s conduct. It also comes as Christie appears to be lowering his profile as a surrogate for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who the governor serves as a top adviser.

“Apparently we’ve not yet found the floor for the governor’s approval among voters in the state. The recent gas tax increase that the governor supported no doubt caused some in his party to turn against him, even though he sought to reduce taxes in other areas in order to offset the increase at the pump,” Krista Jenkins, professor of political science and director of PublicMind, said in a statement.

Dissatisfaction with Christie cuts across political lines, gender, age and sex. Even 52 percent of Republicans surveyed disapprove of the governor's job performance, while just 40 percent approve.

The Bridgegate trial — which 70 percent of New Jersey voters say they’re following somewhat or very closely — is hurting Christie. Fifty-two percent of those surveyed say there is sufficient proof that Christie knew about the George Washington Bridge lane closures and did nothing to stop them.

“With both sides arguing that the governor was aware of the political retaliation plan, voters are having a hard time coming up with reasons to believe his claims of innocence,” Jenkins said.

Still, despite his unpopularity and talk of impeachment among Democrats in the state Legislature, 57 percent do not believe Christie should leave office.

Just two governors in recent memory have had worse approval ratings than Christie, but not by much.

In 1977, after he signed a law to create the state income tax, Democrat Brendan Byrne reached a nadir of 17 percent in a Rutgers-Eagleton poll. He went on to win reelection later that year. In 1990, facing a revolt over new taxes, former Gov. Jim Florio bottomed out at 18 percent. Florio narrowly lost his reelection bid in 1993.

Christie, who’s in the latter half of his second term, is term-limited from seeking reelection in 2017.

The PublicMind poll of 848 registered New Jersey voters was conducted from Oct. 12–16 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.