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Gov. Chris Christie (left) and his Democratic challenger, state Sen. Barbara Buono, will face off in the Nov. 5 general election.

(File photos)

TRENTON — Two weeks before Election Day, a new poll shows Gov. Chris Christie continues to draw high marks from New Jersey voters, while Democratic challenger Barbara Buono is still struggling with name recognition.

The Rutgers-Eagleton poll, released early this morning, reveals that 61 percent of registered voters view Christie favorably. Twenty-eight percent of voters see him unfavorably.

Sixty percent grade the Republican governor's performance with a B or higher and 67 percent approve of the overall job he's doing.

Despite those marks, the poll shows voters disapprove of the way Christie has handled two issues they cite as among the most important in the state: the economy and taxes. Only 42 percent approve of his handling of the economy and jobs, while 38 percent approve of his performance on taxes.

Along party lines, 90 percent of Republicans and 68 percent of independents see Christie favorably. But while more than 50 elected Democratic officials have endorsed the governor for re-election, Christie's favorability among Democratic voters has dropped five points — to 38 percent — over the last month.

"Democrats have become less enamored of the governor, as is to be expected during a campaign," said David Redlawsk, director of the Rutgers-Eagleton Poll and professor of political science at Rutgers University. "But between the increasing support of independents and the fact that many Democrats remain on his side, Christie's favorability and job ratings continue to fly high."

Meanwhile, the poll shows Buono — the state senator from Middlesex County waging an uphill battle against Christie heading into the Nov. 5 gubernatorial election — is still relatively unknown. Forty-three percent of voters have no real impression of her, and of those who do, 29 percent have a positive opinion and 28 percent have a negative view. That's a seven-point increase in negative ratings since early September — coinciding with Christie's attack ads on television, according to the poll.

"For a major-party contender, Sen. Buono has has had very low visibility throughout this campaign," Redlawsk said. "Her lack of resources and unwillingness of many Democratic leaders to promote her have hampered her messaging. Christie could have been vulnerable on the issues voters care about, but not without the presence of a visible, viable alternative."

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At the same time, the poll shows voters having a hard time describing Buono's political ideology. Nineteen percent say she is very liberal, 25 percent somewhat liberal, 25 percent moderate, 25 percent unsure, and 7 conservative.

"This pattern of responses seem more like guessing than a clear recognition of Sen. Buono's stances," Redlawsk said.

Meanwhile, 58 percent say Christie is a moderate and 22 percent say somewhat conservative — a sign that he has succeeded in positioning himself as a middle-of-the-road candidate.

The telephone poll was conducted from Oct. 7-13 with 799 registered voters. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

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