The scandal surrounding lane closures on the George Washington Bridge has taken a toll on New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s (R) presidential prospects, particularly among independents, according to a new poll.
A Quinnipiac survey released Tuesday found that support for Christie has dipped since December. Today he trails former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton 46 percent to 38 percent. The New Jersey governor led her 42 percent to 41 percent in December, results that were nearly identical to Quinnipiac’s November survey.
The biggest shift in opinion on a potential Christie presidential run came from independent voters. The poll found independent voters favoring Clinton by a slim margin, 41 percent to 40 percent, while last month the survey found that bloc went for Christie 47 percent to 32 percent.
New Jersey legislature and federal prosecutors have launched investigations over the past month into the September lane closures on the George Washington Bridge, which apparently were ordered by Christie aides and appointees as an act of political retribution. Seventy-three percent have read or heard something about so-called “Bridgegate,” the poll found, and 34 percent said the scandal makes them less likely to vote for Christie.
The poll surveyed 1,933 registered voters nationwide from Jan. 15-19, with a margin of error of 2.2. percentage points.
This post has been updated.
