Independent Chris Daggett also continues to draw remarkably strong support, according to the polls by Zogby International and Fairleigh Dickinson-PublicMind.

The statewide Zogby poll of 1,093 likely voters, taken Oct. 27-29 and commissioned by the Hughes Center for Public Policy at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, found that Corzine drew 40 percent to Christie's 39 percent and Daggett's 14 points. While 6 percent were undecided, 1 percent wanted "someone else."

With the poll's 3 percent margin of error, it shows the race remains a statistical tie between Corzine and Christie.

The poll found support for Christie strongest among younger voters, according to a release, that said Corzine's support is stronger with older voters.

But Hughes Center Executive Director Sharon Schulman said only 34 percent of those polled wanted Corzine reelected. She said in a release, "The majority - 59 percent - wants someone new, including 30 percent of likely Democratic voters and 70 percent of independents and unaffiliated voters."

"This is a bad political environment for an incumbent nationally, but even worse considering New Jersey's enormous budget problems," pollster John Zogby said. But he said voters may consider Corzine the lesser of two evils in a state that has traditionally given Democrats the benefit of the doubt.

He said Daggett could be a harbinger of future independent runs if he does well and reaches 20 percent of the vote.

The FDU has Corzine favored by 44 percent of likely voters, Christie at 43 percent and Daggett at 6 percent. Four percent said they are undecided.

The results mirror an Oct. 6 FDU poll.

Poll director Peter Woolley says the results indicate voters are dissatisfied with Corzine but not convinced that Christie could do better.

The election is Tuesday.

The telephone poll of 694 likely voters was taken Oct. 22-28 and has a sampling error margin of plus or minus 4 percentage points.