Chris Christie (Republican) wins against Jon Corzine (Democratic) for New Jersey Governor

Chris Christie

Republican Chris Christie took an early lead in a tight New Jersey governor’s race against Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine, with an Associated Press exit poll showing independent voters strongly favoring the GOP candidate.

With 44 percent of precincts reporting Tuesday night, Chris Christie had 49 percent of the vote and Jon Corzine about 44. Independent candidate Chris Daggett, originally feared as a potential spoiler, had about 5 percent.

Voters had their pick between Jon Corzine, the unpopular incumbent who had help from President Barack Obama, and Chris Christie, a blunt-talking former federal prosecutor who vowed to rein in taxes.

Obama endorsed Jon Corzine in five campaign appearances, including a rally in the state’s largest city on Sunday, two days before the election. Jon Corzine faced a strong challenge from Chris Christie, who has campaigned on a platform of smaller government but has been criticized for ethical lapses.

The poll suggested the state’s voters were not thrilled with their choices. No more than about half the voters had favorable opinions of any of the candidates.

Independent voters gave President Barack Obama a huge advantage in the state last year, but they strongly favored Chris Christie on Tuesday.

Voters said their top concerns were the economy and jobs, followed by property taxes.

Voters who said the economy was important favored Jon Corzine, while voters who said taxes mattered most supported Chris Christie, according to the exit poll. About two in five voters said none of the three candidates had a good plan to reduce property taxes.

Jackie Booth, an unaffiliated voter from Hamilton, said concerns over wasteful spending and taxes drove her decision to vote for Chris Christie.

New Jersey voters haven’t elected a Republican statewide in a dozen years, and a Chris Christie victory would sting the president heading into next year’s midterm elections. Obama carried New Jersey by 15 percentage points last year.

The president made the case for Jon Corzine over the weekend, urging 11,000 supporters in Newark to show the commitment to the incumbent they showed Obama last year.

“I went in to help the president. I wasn’t going to vote for Jon Corzine,” said Johnson, a registered Republican who usually votes for Democrats. “But I did.”

But many voters are disenchanted with Jon Corzine, a former Goldman Sachs CEO who failed to deliver property tax relief to the middle-class.

He froze property taxes for senior citizens and provided rebates for low-income residents, but taxes remain the nation’s highest, averaging $7,045 per household.

Chris Christie has been criticized for remaining vague about how he would solve the state’s chronic financial problems.