Nearly half of New Jerseyans say state is on wrong track, citing taxes, affordability and cost of living

The New Jerseyans continue to give a somewhat divided assessment on the management of the Garden State, and the portfolio problems at the top of the biggest concerns of the residents, according to the latest Rutgers-Eagleton survey.

Forty-eight percent of residents say that New Jersey is on the wrong track, against 39% who say that this is on the right direction; 14% are not sure.

“The latest figures on where the New Jerseyans think that the state is directed, continue a trend that we have seen in recent years from a divided perspective that has often been more negative than positive,” said Ashley Koning, assistant research teacher and director of the Eagleton center for the public interest at the University of Rutgers University-New Brunswick.

“The current gap between the right track and the wrong direction is now at its widest since March 2022. And just like all the rest of the political climate of today, the views of the future of the State are strongly influenced by partisanry.”

Almost two-thirds of the Democrats (63%) say that the state is heading in the right direction, while three-quarters of the Republicans (77%) say that it left on the wrong track, according to the survey carried out in mid-June. The independents somewhat reflect the population as a whole: 32% say that the State is heading in the right direction against 48% saying that it is on the wrong track. White residents and those of higher income slices are all more likely than their respective counterparts to have a negative vision.

When asked to appoint the most important problem in New Jersey, 36% of residents cite something to do with taxes and 22% say something to do with affordability and cost of living. No other problem is getting closer. Housing and the economy are tied for a distant third (each at 8%). Questions such as crime and security, immigration, education and infrastructure were all in the range from 2% to 3%; 9% said something else unrelated to one of these categories.

“Economic concerns are at the front and at the center of the New Jerseyans, making portfolio problems an essential objective of the two candidates for the governor in this year’s elections,” Koning said. “But exactly on the portfolio problems on which to concentrate depends on who you ask, with traditionally more democratic voting blocks focused on affordability and the cost of living, while the traditionally more republican voting blocks are focused on high taxes.”

Although taxes are the most important problem at all levels, Republicans are particularly likely to say it (44% against 34% of the self -employed and 31% of the Democrats), while Democrats and the self -employed are more likely than the Republicans to mention something about the affordability and the cost of living. Crime is more likely to be reported as a problem by Republicans (9%) than democrats or independents (each at 1%).

White respondents are more likely than non -white respondents to quote something on taxes as the most important problem with which the State is confronted with the State (44% to 25%), as well as older respondents compared to younger respondents. Non -white respondents are more likely that white respondents say that the economy is the most important problem in New Jersey today (13% to 4%).

“To trace a path to victory, Jack Ciattarelli and Mikie Sherrill will have to face the high taxes of New Jersey and the lack of affordability,” said Koning. “The problem is that these are long -standing problems without simple solutions, so the real test for these nominees will be convincing voters this fall can really make a difference.”

The results come from a state-scale survey of 621 adults contacted by the Rutgers-Eagleton / SSRS garden panel based on the probability of June 13 to 16. The complete sample has an error margin of +/- 5.4 percentage points.