Poll: Christie Trails Clinton In Mock Presidential Match-up

After they were tied in the same poll a month ago, Hillary Clinton would beat out Gov. Chris Christie in a mock 2016 presidential matchup, according to a new poll released Tuesday.

Christie, who is widely thought to be angling for a presidential bid, trails the former secretary of state and first lady by 8 percentage points, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll.

Christie, whose administration has been dogged by multiple scandals in recent weeks, trails Clinton 46 to 38 percent, the poll says.

A Dec. 11 Quinnipiac survey put the Christie-Clinton matchup at a statistical dead heat at 42 percent Christie to 41 percent Clinton, the poll says.

The biggest shift since December is among independent voters who go from 47 to 32 percent for Christie last month to 41 percent for Clinton and 40 percent for Christie today, the poll says. 

American voters are divided 35 to 36 percent on whether Christie would make a good president, down from 49 to 31 percent in a November 13 poll. Clinton would make a good president, voters say 52 to 40 percent, compared to 54 to 40 percent in November, the poll says.

"New Jersey Gov. Christopher Christie's 2016 presidential drive is stuck in traffic, sideswiped by Bridgegate, the George Washington Bridge traffic scandal," Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, said in a release.

Among American voters, 73 percent have read or heard something about “Bridgegate.” Of that group, 50 percent say the scandal damages Christie's 2016 White House hopes, while 3 percent say it ends his chances; 2 percent say it helps his chances and 39 percent say the scandal has no impact, the poll says.

The controversy makes 34 percent less likely to vote for Christie, with 4 percent more likely and 56 percent saying it makes no difference, according to the poll.

Christie still runs better against Clinton than other leading Republicans, but Clinton tops possible GOP contenders:

• 49 to 39 percent over U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky;
• 50 to 35 percent over U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas;
• 49 to 38 percent over former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida;

The Republican primary contest is mixed, with Sen. Paul and U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin at 13 percent each, Christie at 12 percent, Jeb Bush at 11 percent and no other candidate above 9 percent. Another 22 percent are undecided, according to the poll.