Despite widespread disapproval over the job Chris Christie is doing, New Jersey Republican voters put him in second place for the Republican nomination. | AP Photo Chris Christie's approval rating in New Jersey hits new low

Chris Christie’s job approval has hit a new low.

Just one in three registered New Jersey voters approves of the job their governor is doing, 6 percentage points lower than in October, according to a Rutgers University poll released on Thursday.


Only 33 percent of those polled have a favorable view of Christie, whose unfavorable rating at home is also at its highest point yet — 59 percent — even as he's seen a modest uptick in his presidential hopes.

“Governor Christie’s good fortune and favorables may be improving on the national campaign trail, but it’s just the opposite in New Jersey,” Ashley Koning, assistant director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University, said in a statement. “Ever since Christie announced his official 2016 run, he has received his lowest ratings as governor — even lower than in the year post-Bridgegate.”

And on the issues he talks about on the campaign trail, Christie isn’t faring much better.

Just 23 percent approve of his handling of taxes, while 71 percent disapprove. On the economy, 30 percent approve and 63 percent disapprove, and 25 percent approve of the state budget while 63 percent disapprove.

But despite widespread disapproval over the job Christie’s doing, New Jersey Republican voters put him in second place for the Republican nomination (with 14 percent), behind Donald Trump (30 percent). Florida Sen. Marco Rubio follows behind Christie, and within the margin of error, with 13 percent.

On the Democratic side, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has the support of six out of 10 New Jersey Democrats, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has 19 percent and Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley brings up the rear with 1 percent.

The telephone poll of 700 New Jersey registered voters was conducted Nov. 30 to Dec. 6. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.