Christie 43, Clinton 42.
That's what the Quinnipiac Polling Institute found when it matched Christie, the just-re-elected governor of New Jersey, and Clinton, the Democratic former Secretary of State, in a trial heat for the presidency in 2016.
Clinton won two U.S. Senate elections from New York before taking the diplomatic post. Christie just won re-election overwhelmingly, drawing constituencies that Republicans these days rarely win.
Clinton easily beats other potential Republican presidential contenders--she tops Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul by 9, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz by 15, and 2012 vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan by 9.
In the Clinton-Christie matchup, Clinton easily wins women, Christie wins men. Christie has a big lead among independents and whites, while Clinton has a huge lead among black and Hispanic voters.