By a 55%-to-41% margin, likely voters in New Jersey say that gay couples should be able to marry, according to a phone survey by Zogby International. The survey of 803 likely voters, commissioned by the New Jersey chapters of PFLAG, was conduced July 15-19 and has a margin of error or +/-3.6%.
The survey comes as the lawsuit to let New Jersey gay couples marry, filed last year by Lambda Legal, makes its way through state courts.
The Massachusetts Supreme Court is also expected to rule soon on same-sex marriage.
Among the three regions of the state, North Jersey supports marriage for gay couples 53% to 43%; Central Jersey supports marriage for gay couples by 52% to 45%; and South Jersey supports marriage for gay couples 60% to 35%.
Catholics favor marriage for gay couples 57% to 39%. Jews favor it 69% to 28%.
Both women and men favor the marriage of gays, women 58% to 37% and men 52% to 45%. Democrats back it 68% to 28%, Independents 60%-36%, and Republicans oppose same-sex marriage 33% to 64%. But when asked if the state should stop fighting the marriage lawsuit to focus on other matters such as the economy, Republicans said the state should drop its opposition, 52% to 42%.