Chris Christie is attracting some grudging respect from New Jersey residents for his efforts to rein in state spending and his tough approach to this year’s budget. His approval rating among registered voters is at 50 percent—the first time his approval has hit that milestone. Among all New Jersey residents, his approval stands at 48 percent.

Those numbers are up from when Christie revealed his budget plan this spring. According to Monmouth University, which conducted this poll as well, in May Christie’s approval/disapproval was 46/49. His approval has increased by four points while his disapproval has decreased by eight points, to 41 percent.

Voters’ sympathy for the Democratic legislature—evident after Christie’s heavy-handed use of the line-item veto brought the Democrats’ budget more in line with Christie’s prerogatives—has waned:

Christie’s decision to veto the nearly $1 billion in spending from the Legislature’s budget may have caused an uproar among Democrats, but most New Jerseyans appear to accept his decision even if they may not like it. Among residents who followed the budget debate, 33 percent say they were dissatisfied with the governor’s line-item cuts compared to 22 percent who say they were satisfied by his veto choices. Another 42 percent say they can live the cuts he made even though they are not particularly satisfied with them.

While the governor’s job rating has gone up, the Legislature’s has remained flat — 35 percent approve to 47 percent disapproves.

I wrote earlier this week that Christie’s ability to win the argument—and therefore public and Democratic approval for his initiatives—stood in contrast to some of his fellow GOP governors trying to enact similar legislation in more conservative states. This latest poll is more evidence that even in a blue state like New Jersey, voters will appreciate an honest assessment of the budget crisis and solutions that will clearly address them—even if that entails sacrifices on their part.

“Overall, the public has never been particularly happy with the size of the cuts Governor Christie has made in either of his budgets,” Patrick Murray, the poll’s director, told New Jersey Newsroom. “However, they recognize New Jersey is in dire economic straits and continue to give the governor positive marks for leadership. How he performs on the individual issues important to state residents is still very much up in the air.”