Candidates for next year’s New Jersey gubernatorial election seem to have their work cut out for them.
A Rutgers-Eagleton Poll conducted late last month found that Garden State voters, by and large, are unfamiliar with all of the people running — even as several other candidates are still expected to announce their plans.
The field has already been flooded with possible nominees from both parties but as Ashley Koning, director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, put it, “given that next year’s gubernatorial has no incumbent and no clear front-runners yet, large majorities of voters do not know or have opinions on any of the declared or potential candidates.”
How well recognized are the Democratic candidates?
For the Democrats, the most well known of the candidates is former state Senate President Steve Sweeney, but 44% of respondents didn’t know who he was. More than half of respondents didn’t know who any of the other candidates mentioned were with 51% not knowing Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, 60% not knowing Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop and 65% not knowing Sean Spiller, president of the state’s teachers union.
Even the two congressmembers who have been rumored to be considering runs, Mikie Sherrill and Josh Gottheimer, were unknown by 53% and 56%, respectively.
Of the respondents who did know who the candidates were, 16% thought favorably of Baraka, 11% unfavorably and 21% have no opinion. Sweeney was viewed favorably by 12% unfavorably by 19% and 25% have no opinion and 44% don’t know who he is.
Only 9% thought favorably of Fulop while 9% were unfavorable, and 22% have no opinion. Spiller was only viewed favorably by 7%, unfavorably by 7% and 21% have no opinion; 65% don’t know who he is.
Sherrill had the highest favorability rating at 19% with 8% unfavorably and 20% have no opinion while Gottheimer was seen as favorable by 15%, unfavorable by 8% and 21% have no opinion.
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How well recognized are the Republican candidates?
Though there are less candidates on the Republican side, the numbers are similar.
Jack Ciattarelli, the party’s 2021 gubernatorial candidate, was the most well-known at 41%. Radio host Bill Spadea was unknown to 60% of respondents and state Sen. Jon Bramnick was unknown to 68%.
Ciattarelli had the highest favorability in his party with 20%, 16% unfavorable and 23% have no opinion. Spadea had 9% favorability, 12% unfavorable and 18% of no opinion while Bramnick was 7% favorable, 5% unfavorable and 20% have no opinion.
“Name recognition will therefore be crucially important. As the number of candidates rises, so does the risk of getting lost in the sea of names,” said Kristoffer Shields, director of the Center for the American Governor at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. “Candidates will need to act quickly to introduce themselves to voters and separate themselves from the pack as the June primaries will be here before we know it.”
What about Gov. Phil Murphy?
As for Gov. Phil Murphy, his favorability is at about 50%, which is only a few points shy of last year’s 56% at this time. Also, 55% of respondents approve of the work Murphy is doing.
The poll was conducted from Oct. 15 to 22 statewide. There were 1,018 adult participants.
Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@northjersey.com
