More than eight in 10 N.J. Republicans support MAGA to some degree; greater support among traditionally Republican demographics
Amidst a second term for President Donald Trump and a deeply polarized political climate, half of New Jersey voters say they oppose the "Make America Great Again" movement to some degree, according to the latest Rutgers-Eagleton Poll.
Forty-four percent of all registered voters "strongly oppose" and another 5% "somewhat oppose" the MAGA movement, while 19% "strongly support" it and another 15% "somewhat support" it; 17% say they neither support nor oppose it. Feelings among likely voters are not much different, increasing both support and opposition by a point or two.
Most Republican voters in the Garden State are embracing their party leader's movement, however. Fifty-three percent of this group "strongly support" and another 32% "somewhat support" MAGA, while 1% "somewhat oppose" and 2% "strongly oppose" it; 12% neither support nor oppose it.
While a majority of Democratic voters are opposed to MAGA (80% "strongly, 6% "somewhat"), independent voters are a bit more divided. Forty-five percent of independents oppose the movement (37% "strongly," 8% "somewhat"), but 27% say they support it at some level (11% "strongly," 16% "somewhat"). Twenty-eight percent of independents say they neither support nor oppose it.
"President Trump's 'Make America Great Again' movement may provoke mixed reactions among New Jersey voters overall, but it certainly has the backing of most of the Republican base here in the Garden State," said Ashley Koning, an assistant research professor and director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. "Historically, moderation and center-right policy have often been a winning ticket for Republicans in New Jersey, but today, both GOP voters and candidates in the state appear to have aligned themselves with the national MAGA brand. Even about a quarter of independents express some level of support for the movement, a critical group for Republican Jack Ciattarelli if he hopes to cross the finish line in November."
MAGA support is also heavily influenced by race and ethnicity. White voters are two to four times more likely than voters of other racial or ethnic backgrounds to support the movement - 26% "strongly support" and 18% "somewhat support" it. One in five Hispanic voters (10% "strongly," 11% "somewhat") and Asian voters (5% "strongly," 15% "somewhat") support MAGA to some degree, compared to 10% of Black voters (3% "strongly," 7% "somewhat"). Black voters, on the other hand, are the most likely of any racial or ethnic group to oppose MAGA (66% "strongly," 5% "somewhat"), followed by Hispanic voters (51% "strongly," 6% "somewhat") and Asian voters (43% "strongly," 10% "somewhat"). Forty-three percent of white voters oppose the movement at some level (38% "strongly," 5% "somewhat").
MAGA support is stronger among older voters compared to younger voters. About four in 10 of those 50 years or older say they support the movement, compared to a third of those ages 35 to 49 and about one-fifth of those 18 to 34 years old.
Voters in households making $150,000 or more are the most opposed to MAGA of any income group - 60% oppose (54% "strongly," 6% "somewhat") to 29% support (15% "strongly," 14% "somewhat"). About a third of each of the lower income brackets support MAGA at some level, while about one in five of these groups are unsure and under half are opposed.
Non-college educated voters are more supportive of MAGA than those with a college degree or more: About four in 10 support it at some level among the former, while nearly three in 10 say the same among the latter. Forty-fix percent of those with a high school education or less formal schooling and 39% of those with some college education oppose the MAGA movement to some degree. Over half of those with a college degree and six in 10 of those who have completed graduate work oppose MAGA at some level.
Voters living in urban and suburban areas are much less supportive than those living in exurban, South Jersey, or Shore areas. About a quarter each of urban voters and suburban voters support MAGA at some level, while over half of each group opposes it. About four in 10 voters in the remaining regions support the movement at some level, while just under half in each oppose it.
When it comes to the 2025 gubernatorial race, MAGA supporters and opponents take expected sides: 81% of MAGA supporters considered likely voters say they would vote for Jack Ciattarelli if the election was held today, while 82% of its opponents say they would vote for Mikie Sherrill. Among those who say they neither support nor oppose MAGA, 40% say they would vote for Ciattarelli, 12% for Sherrill, 10% for someone else, and 38% are unsure.
Among likely independent voters who support MAGA, 73% say they would vote for Ciattarelli, 2% for Sherrill, 2% for someone else, and 23% are unsure. Among independents who oppose MAGA, 67% say they would vote for Sherrill, 3% for Ciattarelli, 5% for someone else, and 25% are unsure.
"MAGA independents are more squarely in Ciattarelli's corner than non-MAGA independents are in Sherrill's," Koning said. "Even independents who neither support nor oppose MAGA are about three times as likely to go for Ciattarelli than Sherrill, as well as three times as likely to be unsure of who they will vote for."
Results throughout this release, with the exception of analysis around MAGA's role in the gubernatorial election, are from a statewide poll of 1,650 registered voters contacted through the probability-based Rutgers-Eagleton/SSRS Garden State Panel from July 31 to August 11. Analysis of MAGA's role in the gubernatorial election is based on 1,650 modeled likely voters. The registered voter sample has a margin of error of +/- 3.4 percentage points; when likely voting is modeled, the margin of error becomes +/- 3.7 percentage points.
