Monmouth poll: Legislature approvals upside-down

A new Monmouth University poll shows the New Jersey Legislature with an upside-down 35%-45% approval rating among registered voters, statistically identical to the 34%-42% approvals the Legislature had in April 2018.

Generic approval ratings of the state legislature is typically not a great barometer of how voters will act in legislative elections, especially in New Jersey where most districts are drawn to avoid competitive contests.

This is remarkably better than the lopsided 23%-62% Legislature approval rating in a July 2017 Monmouth poll.

The last time the Legislature was more popular than unpopular was in December 2013, when approvals were at 44%-38%.  The high-water mark in a Monmouth poll was in December 2012, right after Superstorm Sandy, when the Legislature had a 69%-22% approval rating.  That dropped to 40%-35% two months later.

All 80 seats in the New Jersey State Assembly are up this fall.  Except for a special election in the 1st district, the Senate does not face voters until 2021.