Just days after New Jersey Governor
Chris Christie rejected a gay marriage bill approved by lawmakers, a
new polls shows support has reached a record high.
According to a Quinnipiac
University survey of 1,396 registered voters, 57 percent of
respondents favor the legalization of gay marriage, while 37 percent
do not.
However, a large majority (67%) approve
of Christie's proposal to let the voters decide the issue at the
ballot box in November. A plan widely criticized by Democratic
leaders.
Voters are also divided on whether
Christie did the right thing in vetoing the legislation. Forty-seven
percent said the governor was wrong, while 48 percent agreed with
Christie's decision.
“So the New Jersey State Legislature
passed same-sex marriage and Gov. Christopher Christie vetoed it.
What's left, for now anyway, is a political issue,” Maurice
Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute,
said in a releasing the poll's findings.
“The numbers are all over the lot.
Voter support for same-sex marriage goes up every time we ask, but
about half of them think Christie was right to veto it. By better
than 2-1, they like the governor's proposal for a referendum.”
Support for marriage dropped to 47
percent when respondents were given the option of civil unions (34%).
Thirteen percent said gay couples should be given no legal
recognition.