The Hill News

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) enjoys support of a majority of his state's voters, a new poll found Wednesday.

Support for Christie, a rising GOP star who's been discussed for a possible spot on the 2012 Republican ticket, edged upward from a low point in December, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll.

Fifty-two percent of New Jersey's registered voters said they approve of the way Christie is handling his job as governor, while 40 percent disapprove. That's up from a much tighter, 46-44 percent poll before Christmas in December.

The poll suggests that the Garden State Republican's numbers were unaffected by the fallout from his decision to stay on vacation during a blizzard in New Jersey in late December. His actions drew criticism by some Democrats, who said he should have c! ome back home to the state.

But his numbers also suggest that he could help carry the Republican brand in the typically-Democratic state going into 2012. Christie's denied interest in running for president, though he's been more coy about accepting the vice presidential nomination. He has, however, expressed relative openness to running in 2016. He would have to win reelection first.

Republicans could also benefit from Christie's popularity in the state's Senate race next year. The GOP's hoping to beat Sen. Robert Menendez (D) in 2012, though the first-term senator's numbers also enjoyed a bump. Forty-four percent of New Jersey voters said they approve of the way Menendez is handling his job, while 26 percent disapprove.

The poll, conducted Feb. 3-7, has a 2.7 percent margin of error.