NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (CBS) - A new poll in New Jersey tends to reinforce the perception that Governor Chris Christie’s popularity in the state is slipping — a bit.

On the heels of last week’s Quinnipiac Poll that saw his overall approval rating level off at 47 percent positive versus 46 percent negative, a new Rutgers-Eagleton survey gives the governor a razor-thin thumbs down: 47 percent negative versus 45 percent positive.

Eagleton Poll director David Redlawsk isn’t surprised by the results.

“Most leaders have this challenge as people get to know them,” Redlawsk explains. “People quickly are not going to like what they see. Negatives tend to go up over time. In addition here, we’re talking about a Republican governor in what is still a relatively Democratic state.”

Respondents were asked, if Christie were on the ballot now would you vote for him? Forty-two percent said yes, but 49 percent indicated they would opt for someone else.

Reported by David Madden, KYW Newsradio 1060