New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has seen his approval ratings decline in his state to a career low of 18 percent, leading poll director Krista Jenkins to say he "has been abandoned by virtually everyone," according to a report in The New York Times.
A PublicMind poll released on Dec. 6 noted that 73 percent of New Jersey voters believe that Christie should have been among the defendants in a trial over the "Bridge-gate" closings, which resulted in convictions of two of Christie's former aides.
The Times reports Christie's former campaign manager, Bill Stepien, is set to be President-elect Donald Trump's White House political director, after Christie was removed as leader of the transition team and turned down job offers in Trump's administration.
He was not offered the role he wanted, U.S. attorney general, the report said.
"If he was at one time a bipartisan figure who was able to unite both sides of the aisle and even draw union support, that's completely evaporated," said Jenkins. "It's hard to find anyone in recent memory who is in such disfavor."
Christie is in the last year of his second term as governor, and term limits prohibit another run. He ran for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, then threw his support to Trump after exiting the race.
The Times notes that Trump targeted Christie with jokes during his campaign, and now in New Jersey, the governor faces voters who are upset over his absences during the campaign season.
The state Legislature also appears resistant to his agenda, after lawmakers opposed a bill that would have given Christie the right to profit from a book deal.
Voters expected him to deal with New Jersey issues now that the campaign is over, according to state Sen. Jennifer Beck. She said he looked past property taxes and an underfunded pension system for his book bill, which she called, "kind of like having a tin ear."
State Assembly leader Jon M. Bramnick said he expected Christie would not get much accomplished. "When you're in the last year of a second term, it's difficult. Everyone's looking to the future."
The Times reports that Christie is expecting Trump's team will ask him to rejoin soon, saying that Trump's advisors, including Jared Kushner, Stephen K. Bannon, and Reince Priebus, will prove unsuccessful and need Christie's management expertise.
NJ.com posted a list of Christie's "most humiliating" moments of 2016, which included being mocked on social media and talk shows for appearing to look like a "hostage" during his appearances with Trump.
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