Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would best New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in his home state if the 2016 election were held today, a new poll revealed on Wednesday.
In the Quinnipiac University survey, Clinton won 50% of registered voters’ support, while Christie earned 42%.
Neither has declared their intention to run for president, but both are thought to be seriously considering a run — Clinton has been touring the country on a grueling book tour, while Christie is busy campaigning for other GOPers in his position as the head of the Republican Governors’ Association.
It’s no surprise that a blue state would express its support for a hugely popular Democrat, but it’s a blow to the image Christie has tried to craft — of a Republican who can win in a blue state and work across party lines to pass legislation.
Christie fared better than other Republicans in the poll — in the Garden state, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul both lost to Clinton by 20 points, while former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee lost by even more — but it’s clear the governor doesn’t have the home-state advantage most presidential nominees enjoy.
“As Gov. Christopher Christie traipses around the nation, his presidential potential seems alive, but former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the adopted girl next door, easily beats him in his home state,” Qunnipiac’s Maurice Carroll said in a release.
Jane Timm