Poll: Murphy gets a C from residents for his time as N.J. governor
The outgoing governor earned a D+ on taxes and affordability.
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A new Rutgers-Eagleton poll finds Gov. Phil Murphy is ending his tenure with split favorability and approval ratings.
He was graded a C for his overall time as governor, and a D+ on taxes and affordability, according to the poll.
This comes after Murphy delivered his final State of the State address on Tuesday, touting his accomplishments, including raising the state's minimum wage and legalizing marijuana.
The poll used a standard educational grading scale ranging from A (4 points) to F (9 points).
Murphy's earned a grade-point average of 2.09, according to the poll, with 9% of residents giving him an A, 32% a B, 23% a C, 16% a D, and 13% an F.
"Gov. Murphy will leave office much as he entered it – a governor who rarely elicited strong reactions and generally avoided sharp swings in public opinion," said Ashley Koning, an assistant research professor and director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University-New Brunswick.
The outgoing governor's two lowest grades are on two issues at the top of New Jerseyans' minds - affordability and taxes.
"Murphy's grades on key fiscal issues have remained largely unchanged from his first to second term, suggesting New Jerseyans saw little progress in these critical areas," Koning said. "Addressing these same challenges will be among Governor-elect Sherrill's most important tasks as she takes office next week."
Residents are split on the direction that New Jersey is heading toward as Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill prepares for her inauguration Tuesday: 42 % of respondents say the state is going in the right direction, while 43% say it has gone off track, with the rest being unsure.
Results are from a statewide poll of 1,570 New Jersey adults contacted through the Rutgers-Eagleton/SSRS Garden State Panel from Dec. 29, 2025, to Jan. 6, 2026. The survey has a margin of error of +/- 3.6 percentage points.
