For the first time New Yorkers may be jealous of New Jersey.
In a Quinnipiac University poll released today, the city’s voters said that Governor Chris Christie did the best job of responding to Superstorm Sandy.
Thirty-six percent of poll takers, who were asked to choose among the New Jersey governor, President Obama, Governor Cuomo and Mayor Bloomberg, rated Christie number one.
The president came in second with 22 percent, followed by Cuomo at 15 percent and Bloomberg at 12.
Despite being beat by leaders outside of New York, a large majority of city voters still said the two did an “excellent” or “good job.”
The storm even raised the mayor’s approval rating to 56 percent, his highest grade in two years, according to Quinnipiac.
“The storm-of-the-century brings out the best in Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New Yorkers say. But that love fest between New Jersey Governor Christopher Christie and President Barack Obama seems to have moved voters especially,” said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. “While all four leaders get very high marks—it seems a hug or two never hurts.”
The poll also asked New York City voters what they thought of other storm response efforts.
Though there has been criticism of the MTA, Red Cross and utility companies, the majority of those surveyed thought the transit agency and disaster relief organization as well as first responders did an “excellent” or “good,” job, but only 37 percent gave utility companies that rating.
Additionally, about half of poll takers thought that government and relief agencies favored Manhattan over the outer boroughs.
When it comes to future storms, with the fear of climate change in mind, most of the city’s voters favor spending billions of dollars to better protect the city from weather disasters like Sandy.
