How Is Sherrill Handling The Lt. Governor Scandal? NJ Residents Weigh In

Many New Jersey residents approve of the way Gov. Mikie Sherrill is handling the scandal involving her recently resigned lieutenant governor, although some people still haven't made up their minds, pollsters say.

A new poll from Rutgers-Eagleton asked 1,000 Garden State residents if they approve of the way Sherrill is responding to the bombshell sexual harassment allegations involving former Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell.

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According to Rutgers-Eagleton, 36 percent said the governor is handling the situation "very well," while another 32 percent said "somewhat well." Nine percent said she is not handling it very well and 5 percent said "not well at all." Another 19 percent said they are "unsure."

The governor's office released a 61-page report about the investigation last week. Caldwell has been accused of sexually harassing women and repeatedly violating state ethics rules in his capacities as lieutenant governor and secretary of state.

Caldwell's attorney released a statement disputing the investigation's findings, saying "the conclusions go further than the evidence supports."

Sherrill, who previously praised her running mate for his commitment to public service and penchant for "challenging the status quo," called for Caldwell to resign in the wake of the report's release – which he did on Sept. 25.

>> RELATED: 6 Shocking Revelations From The Dale Caldwell Investigation

SHERRILL APPROVAL RATING UPDATE

The Rutgers-Eagleton poll also sought an update on Gov. Sherrill's overall approval numbers from the public.

Forty-four percent of New Jerseyans said they approve of the way she is handling her job as governor – virtually unchanged since a previous poll taken in March. However, 34 percent now disapprove of Sherrill's job performance (up five points), while 22 percent remain undecided.

Meanwhile, 39 percent of respondents said they have a favorable impression of Sherrill, while 31 percent have an unfavorable one. Notably, 27 percent said they still have no opinion of the governor, while 3 percent said they don't know who she is.

Sherrill's ratings are down slightly since March, when 44 percent of residents had a favorable impression of her and 29 percent had an unfavorable one, although these shifts are within the poll's margin of error.

Ashley Koning, director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, said that the governor continues to draw more positive reactions than negative ones, and more New Jerseyans have formed an impression of her than had of Phil Murphy at this same point in his first term.

"But a quarter of residents still have no opinion of her almost a year in, and how those New Jerseyans eventually break will decide whether her net positive ratings hold," Koning added.

The poll also asked respondents if they thought New Jersey was generally headed in a good direction. Here's what they said, Rutgers-Eagleton reported:

"On the direction of the state, more New Jerseyans are negative than positive. Thirty-seven percent say New Jersey is going in the right direction, while 43% say it has gone off on the wrong track. Two in 10 (20%) are unsure."

The results are from a statewide poll of 1,004 adults contacted through the probability-based Rutgers-Eagleton/SSRS Garden State Panel from Sept. 24 to Sept. 27. The full sample has a margin of error of +/- 4.1 percentage points.

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