Christie struggles to recover as disappointment runs deep

HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP, N.J. - Gov. Chris Christie, who fell out of the running for president and then for a position in the Trump administration, has worked to improve his image this year, dedicating himself to the state and nation’s opioid epidemic and opening up again to New Jersey’s press corps.

It hasn’t worked.

His approval rating is among the lowest in history for any governor, as he enters the final months of his last term. He is under attack by the leading Democratic and Republican candidates — including his top deputy — running to succeed him. He describes himself as “old news.”

Only 15 percent of voters approve of the Republican’s job performance and 81 percent disapprove, according to a recent Quinnipiac University poll. The university said it’s the worst gubernatorial approval rating surveyed by the poll in more than two decades. The poll surveyed 1,103 voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 points.

Christie’s allies say he’s not worried about the low ratings, but there are few signs the voters who once gave him high marks for his handling of Superstorm Sandy and elected him twice to one of the country’s most powerful governorships will change their views.

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