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Gov. Jon Corzine has an upside-down 43%-46% job approval rating

Gov. Jon Corzine continues to struggle with his fifth negative approval rating this year -- 43%-46% -- according to a new Quinnipiac University poll released today.  But those numbers are better than his 40%-51% approval rating in a September 17 Quinnipiac poll.  More than half of New Jersey voters (51%) say he doesn't deserve to be re-elected, while just 37% say he does.  

New Jerseyans, by a 54%-30% margin, don't want Corzine to be Barack Obama's Secretary of the Treasury.

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U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie is within six points of incumbent Jon Corzine in a Quinnipiac University poll of the 2009 race for Governor of New Jersey

Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine has a narrow six point lead over Republican Christopher Christie in the 2009 race for Governor of New Jersey, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll released early this morning.  Corzine leads Christie, who will leave his post as U.S. Attorney on December 1, 42%-36%.

“The long coattails of Barack Obama have reached down into New Jersey and helped Gov. Jon Corzine's re-election prospects, at least for now,” said Clay F. Richards, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. 

Quinnipiac University will release a new poll on Wednesday morning with Gov. Jon Corzine's job approval ratings and a head-to-head contest with U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie. In a September 17 survey, Corzine had an upside-down approval rating of 40%-51%, and was in a statistial dead heat with Christie, 42%-40%.

Assembly Majority Executive Director Bill Castner will leave his post in January to become a Director at Gibbons P.C. – the law firm of his longtime mentor Chief Justice James Zazzali. Gibbons is ranked among the nation's top 200 law firms by the American Lawyer.

The Record is reporting that FBI investigators raided the home of Bergen County Utilities Authority Executive Director Leonard Kaiser, a partner in a grants consulting firm owned by Joseph Ferriero and Dennis Oury.  Federal agents executive a search warrant at 7AM this morning at Kaiser's North Arlington home, where he was the longtime Mayor.  Kaiser, a former Republican Freeholder, allegedly owns a 23% share in Governmental Grants Consulting, which was founded by Ferriero, the Bergen County Democratic Chairman, and Oury, the BCDO Counsel.  Both were indicted in September.

CLICK HERE TO READ CHARLES STILE'S OCT. 15 COLUMN ON KAISER

Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts is expected to announce tomorrow that Bill Castner will leave his post as Executive Director of the Assembly Majority Office in January and will be succeeded Bill Caruso, Congressman Rob Andrews' long-time chief of staff. 

In the race for Atlantic County Sheriff, Republican Frank Balles ousted five-term Democrat Jim McGettigan by a 55%-45% margin.  McGettigan

Democrats picked up a Freeholder seat and ousted a Republican Surrogate tonight in Cumberland County, giving Democrats a 7-0 majority on the Freeholder Board.  Republican Surrogate Arthur Marchand lost to Freeholder Douglas Rainear by a 55%-45% margin. 

U.S. Rep.-elect Leonard Lance

State Sen. Leonard Lance (R-Flemington) defeated Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Fanwood) in a hotly contested race for Congress in New Jersey's 7th district, keeping the seat of retiring U.S. Rep. Mike Ferguson in Republican hands. Lance beat Stender by a 51%-42% margin.