🔹 58% of NJ voters approve of Gov. Mikie Sherrill in new FDU poll
🔹 Support crosses party and demographic lines despite rising costs
🔹 Voters want Sherrill to work with Trump when possible, poll shows
Sherrill approval rating remains strong despite NJ affordability crisis
Even as New Jersey residents grapple with some of the highest property taxes in the nation, rising utility bills and stubborn inflation, a new poll shows Gov. Mikie Sherrill enjoying strong approval ratings early in her first term.
A survey from Fairleigh Dickinson University finds 58% of New Jersey voters approve of the job Sherrill is doing as governor, significantly higher than the approval ratings of former Gov. Phil Murphy during much of his second term.
The numbers suggest that, for now, voters are willing to give the new governor time to navigate the state’s economic challenges.
“Sherrill is getting what no politician on the national level gets these days: the benefit of the doubt,” said Dan Cassino, professor of government and politics at Fairleigh Dickinson University and executive director of the FDU Poll. “Independents, and even some Republicans, have nothing bad to say about her yet, and that approval is political capital in her talks with the legislature.”
(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
Strong support across party lines
Sherrill’s support is particularly strong among Democratic voters, where her approval rating approaches 90 percent.
The poll finds 88% of Democrats, 88% of progressives, and 85% of liberal voters approve of how she is handling her job as governor.
But the survey also shows measurable support even among voters who did not back her in the election.
About 22% of Republicans, 25% of conservatives, and 14% of MAGA voters say they currently approve of Sherrill’s performance.
Among demographic groups, Sherrill performs especially well with Black voters (77% approval) and Hispanic voters (69%), while 62% of women approve of her leadership compared with 53% of men.
Voters pragmatic about working with Trump
The poll also finds New Jersey voters taking a pragmatic view of the governor’s relationship with President Donald Trump.
42% of voters say Gov. Sherrill should work with President Trump when conflicts arise. (Getty Images)
42% of voters say Gov. Sherrill should work with President Trump when conflicts arise. (Getty Images)
Although Sherrill has clashed with the Trump administration over issues such as immigration enforcement and funding for the Gateway tunnel project, 42% of voters say she should work with the president when conflicts arise, compared with 31% who say she should defy him. Another 26% volunteered that “it depends.”
“Voters in New Jersey may not like Trump very much, but they’re pragmatic,” Cassino said. “The fact that they’re volunteering a conditional response about working with the president tells us that they want to see cooperation when it’s possible.”
High approval may not last
Still, pollsters caution that strong early approval ratings rarely last once difficult governing decisions begin.
She was elected on promises to address affordability issues, and if she fails to bring down costs for New Jersey families, the current good will may be short lived.
“As the governor starts having to make tough choices, these numbers are going to go down,” Cassino said. “The question is what Sherrill does with her high support while she has it.”
With budget negotiations looming in Trenton and affordability continuing to be the number one issue facing New Jersey families, Sherrill has some political capital to shape her policies, but will face pushback from fellow Democrats in the legislature if she seeks to cut popular programs.
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Gallery Credit: Erin Vogt
Average NJ gas prices as of March 31, 2026
AAA Fuel Prices website’s average of New Jersey metro areas, comparing gas prices on March 12 to a month and a year ago. As of March 31, the average for regular gas was $3.927, a bit lower than the national average of $4.018. In New Jersey, the average was up more than 4 cents from a week prior, and more than a dollar from a month before.
Gallery Credit: New Jersey 101.5
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