Poll: N.J. voters don’t approve of electric car mandate

A majority of New Jerseyans are wary of Gov. Phil Murphy’s electric vehicles mandate even though they largely approve of his job performance as governor, according to a Public Opinion Strategies poll conducted for Power the Future, a conservative-leaning energy advocacy group.  

Murphy’s plan to require all new car, sports utility vehicles, and light truck sales to be at zero emissions by 2035 remains unpopular: just one-third of the state supports it, and 58% oppose it.   Voter groups that might have been expected to support the initiative don’t exceed 50%: Democrats, young voters, and even those who like Murphy.    Among independents, 33% support Murphy’s car sales regulations, and 58% oppose it.  

The poll potentially boosts Republican legislative candidates in New Jersey’s mid-term elections: 50% of voters say they would be less likely to support an incumbent who backed the electric car regulations, with 28% suggesting they’re more likely.  Among independents, it’s 49% less likely and 22% more likely. 

Nearly six in ten New Jersey residents (59%) view Murphy’s initiative as unrealistic, 55% say it’s extreme, and 69% believe it will cost them more money.  

Murphy has a 58%-42% approval rating, Democratic legislative candidates have a 47%-32% edge on a generic ballot test, and President Biden has an upside-down 45%-55% approval rating in New Jersey.  Among independents, Biden is at 31%-69%.

While 62% say the proposal is “environmentally smart,” the state is divided on whether the policy is responsible: 47% say it is, and 45% believe it isn’t.  

“If the green agenda is this unpopular in deep blue New Jersey, imagine what it’s like in battleground states and districts across this country.  As militant environmental leftists like Phil Murphy and Gavin Newsom march their states toward a forced transition to all EVs,” said Daniel Turner, the group’s executive director.  “It’s clear these mandates are wildly out of step with middle-class Americans already buckling under the burden of Bidenomics.  With numbers like these, it’s obvious why politicians must regulate their way to an all-EV future. Without the long arm of government forcing the way, this ill-advised technology wouldn’t stand a chance.”

The Public Opinion Strategies Poll was conducted from August 17-22 with a sample size of 600 registered voters and a margin of error of +/- 4.9%.