Christie Not a Bully? Most Voters Agree

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said the George Washington Bridge scandal doesn’t make him a bully. Most voters agree, according to a new poll.

Fifty-four percent of New Jersey voters described Christie (R) as more of a leader than a bully in a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday. Forty percent said it’s the other way around.

The bridge scandal has posed a threat to Christie’s political future as he weighs a run for president in 2016. Christie has denied any personal involvement in the closure of lanes on the George Washington Bridge, which aides carried out in order to exact revenge on a Democratic mayor who had not endorsed his reelection bid.

So far, the poll indicates that most voters in the state are giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Among voters who have heard about the scandal, 50 percent believe Christie’s aides acted alone in causing the traffic jam, 41 percent said Christie was aware. Two-thirds do not believe Christie personally ordered the lane closures.

The only downside for Christie? Over half of voters back the probe into the closures led by Democratic lawmakers, saying it’s a legitimate investigation and not a “witch hunt.”

Other key Christiel attributes have not taken a hit in the eyes of voters. Over half (51 percent) say he’s honest and trustworthy and nearly three quarters say he has strong leadership qualities.

The poll was taken from Jan. 10-13, the days following Christie’s news conference responding to the scandal.

Read the rest of the survey here.

Jordan Fabian is Fusion’s politics editor, writing about campaigns, Congress, immigration, and more. When he’s not working, you can find him at the ice rink or at home with his wife, Melissa.