Monmouth University

Incumbent Frank Lautenberg has an eight point lead over Republican Dick Zimmer, 45%-37%, among likely voters in his bid for re-election to a fifth term in the U.S. Senate, according to a Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey poll released this morning.

“While Lautenberg leads, many voters cannot commit to either candidate. This is usually bad news for the incumbent. However, Republicans are not showing their typical early support for the GOP nominee,” said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute. “Couple this with the high number of voters entertaining a third party vote, and it’s clear that Dick Zimmer still has work to do with his own base before he can start courting independent voters.”

We’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see the results of the Quinnipiac poll that measures Gov. Corzine’s approval rating and the Senate race between Frank Lautenberg and Dick Zimmer.

But state Senator/Essex County Republican Chairman Kevin O’Toole predicts that the poll on the Senate race will be close.

“Lautenberg has not been loved by the electorate.  Look at his number.  He has a 54% or 55% (approval) on his best day,” said O’Toole.  “I think his best days are behind him.”

A new Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey poll shows Barack Obama is most popular than Hillary Clinton in New Jersey, even though Clinton beat Obama by ten percentage points in the state’s February 5 Democratic primary.  Obama has a 58%-27% favorable rating, while Clinton is at 46%-43%.  And by a 45%-38% margin, more New Jersey and Democrat-leaning independents say that would rather see Obama capture the Democratic presidential nomination.

U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez has a 41%-31% approval rating, while Gov. Jon Corzine is upside-down at 34%-52%.  Among Democrats, Menendez is at 51%-19%, while Corzine is at 45%-40%.  U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg’s approval rating is 48%-31%, and 51%-19% among Democrats.

If Frank Lautenberg wins re-election, he'll be 90 when his next term is over: Getty Images Photo
Sen. Frank Lautenberg leads Rep. Ron Andrews by a 35%-20% margin in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary, with Morristown Mayor Donald Cresitello at 8%, according to a new Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey poll released today.  Lautenberg has 59%-19% approval rating among New Jersey Democrats, and a 48%-31% statewide approval.  Andrews has a 13%-15% approval rating among Democratic voters and just 44% of Democrats recognize his name.  But 61% of voters – and 56% of Democrats -- say its time for a new person in the Senate, and just 26% say the 84-year-old Lautenberg should be re-elected. 

Voters are split on whether Lautenberg is getting too old to be an effective Senator: 41% say he is, but 46% say he’s not.