FDU: 1/3 of NJ Adults Can’t Name The Governor

Governor Phil Murphy

Only 67% of New Jersey adults can name the governor, according to a poll released this morning by Fairleigh Dickinson University.

A third of all adults in the Garden State don’t know the name of the current governor. The most recent survey from the Fairleigh Dickinson University Poll finds that 67 percent say they know who the current governor is, with 33 percent who do not.

“Although politicians like to think everyone knows who they are, the good people of New Jersey are not unlike others across the country. A recent national survey finds that a third of all Americans can’t name their governor. So, as much as Governor Murphy may be disappointed, apparently he’s in good company,” said Krista Jenkins, professor of government and director of the FDU Poll.

Almost all of those who said they knew the governor’s name, actually did know it — or offered some version of the correct answer. Phil Murphy came to mind easily for many, though some offered only “Phil” or “Murphy.” In the “let’s just give them credit because they were close enough” category were those who said William Murphy or Bill Murphy is the governor. And a handful (21 in total) said they knew who the governor is, and then offered the name of Murphy’s predecessor, Chris Christie.

Overall, Gov. Murphy’s approval is at 42 percent, with Democrats and Republicans predictably divided: Democrats approve by 61-16 and Republicans disapprove by 63-15. Among those who can actually identify Governor Murphy by name, 43 percent approve of his job performance so far, while a third (36%) disapprove.

“It’s important to note that Governor Murphy remains under a 50 percent approval rate mainly because people don’t know him very well at all,” said Jenkins. “On the bright side, this means he has a lot of potential to improve his ratings. On the pessimistic side, it means he’s just not connecting with voters.”