Murphy job approvals about where Christie was at same point

As Gov. Phil Murphy approaches his mid-term election, his job approvals — 42%-32% in a new Fairleigh Dickinson University poll — are similar to those of his predecessor, Chris Christie, in June.

Christie was at 44%-37% in a June 21, 2011 Quinnipiac University poll.  Between June and October, Christie shot up to 58%-38%.  Republicans still lost one Assembly seat that year.

Jon Corzine was at 48%-39% in June 2007, and James E. McGreevey was at 35%-47%.

By the fall, Corzine had remained about where he was (49%-40%).  Democrats picked up one Senate seat and lost one seat in the Assembly in the 2007 mid-terms.

McGreevey saw his disapprovals drop to 35%-52%.  Still, Democrats picked up two Senate seats and three Assembly seats.

New Jersey legislative races are more a function of less competitive districts after 2001 and 2011 redistricting than a reflection on gubernatorial popularity.

Democrats lost ten Senate seats and 21 Assembly seats in 1991, when Gov. Jim Florio had job approvals of 23%-73%.  They lost seventeen Assembly seats in 1975 with Gov. Brendan Byrne at 18%-79%.