New Jersey Constitution

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The New Jersey Constitution is a relatively short document that was adopted in 1947 and amended several times since. It includes a separation of powers provision in Article III that is even stronger than that of the U.S. Constitution.

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Poll: New Jersey voters divided on potential Christie presidency, but weight not a factor

New Jersey voters are divided over whether Gov. Chris Christie (R) would make a good president, but the governor's weight isn't a factor, according to a new poll.

The Quinnipiac Poll released Tuesday found that 41 percent said Christie would make a good president, while 44 percent say he would not make a good president. Forty-six percent of voters say Christie should run for president in 2016, the poll also found. Meanwhile, 47 percent say he should not run.

Christie has repeatedly been mentioned as possible presidential candidate. Observers have also speculated that the New Jersey governor's weight might play a factor in the governor deciding whether to run for president and, if he decided to run in 2016, the strength of his candidacy.

But New Jerseyans don't care about their governor's weight, according to the poll. Four percent said they are "enthusiastic" about a presidential candidate who is overweight and 64 percent said they are comfortable with an overweight candidate. Just 17 percent say they have "reservations" about a candidate who is overweight, and 4 percent said they are outright uncomfortable with the idea.

Seventy percent of New Jersey voters approve of the job Christie is doing, the poll found, while 23 percent disapprove. Christie's approval rating has trended around the 70 percent range for the last three months, according to Quinnipiac.

Those high job-approval numbers spill over into the New Jersey governor's race, where Christie holds a lead of 90 percent to 4 percent among Republicans and 69 percent to 15 percent among independents. The Quinnipiac poll found Democratic state Sen. Barbara Buono leads Christie among Democrats 53 percent to 29 percent.

Broken down by gender, Christie leads 65 percent to 21 percent among men and 55 percent to 29 percent among women.

The Quinnipiac poll also surveyed New Jerseyans on same sex marriage. The Supreme Court began hearing oral arguments on a same-sex marriage case on Tuesday. The poll found 64 percent of those surveyed support same-sex marriage legislation, while 30 percent oppose it.  Seventy-two percent support a same-sex marriage referendum on the state ballot in November, while 22 percent opposite a referendum.

While the top New Jersey Republican enjoys high approval ratings in the state, more New Jersey voters also approve of the job President Obama is doing than those who disapprove. Fifty-four percent say they approve of Obama's job performance, while 42 percent say they disapprove. In February, the poll found 57 percent approve while 40 percent disapprove.

The poll was conducted between March 19 and 24 among 1,129 registered voters in New Jersey. The poll had a margin of error of 2.9 percentage points.

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New Jersey Legislators Will Vote To Override Chris Christie’s Marriage Equality Veto

In early 2012, lawmakers in New Jersey successfully passed marriage equality bill, but Gov. Chris Christie (R) vetoed it, claiming same-sex marriage was not an issue of “gay rights.” The legislature has until January 2014 to attempt to override that veto, and Democratic leaders in both chambers announced this week that they will attempt to do just that.

The bill originally passed the Senate with a 24-16 vote, so only three more votes are needed to reach a two-thirds majority for the override. In the Assembly, however, the bill only passed 42-33, so 12 more votes are needed. Lawmakers will likely wait until after the June elections to hold the vote so that Republicans are more willing to consider a controversial vote. LGBT activists have been lobbying for more support for an override since the bill’s passage last year, primarily because they are opposed to a referendum.

Openly gay Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D) actually wants to allow for a vote, because he believes “the worst thing that can happen is the status quo.” However, Senate President Steve Sweeney also opposes a referendum, and for good reasons. As Garden State Equality pointed out last year, ballot initiatives are “a contest of which side can raise more millions” that offers “a community’s civil rights up for sale to the highest bidder.” Not only is a referendum incredible expensive, but it can have harsh consequences for the mental health of the entire LGBT community.

Arguably, a majority of New Jersey voters do support marriage equality, with polls showing as many as 53 percent, if not 57 percent, support. That, however, should be motivation for lawmakers to simply do their job and represent the interests of their constituents. Marriage equality is what’s best for New Jersey’s economy and the well-being of its citizens, in addition to just being the right thing to do.

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