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As New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie heads to Iowa Thursday to glad-hand voters and to continue raising record funds for fellow Republicans, the famously pugnacious pol is gearing up once again to join the presidential fray in earnest.

For the past six months, of course, Governor Christie has seen his once-front-running bid for the 2016 Republican nomination dogged by Bridge-gate, three federal investigations, and a state in financial turmoil.

But his poll numbers aren鈥檛 too bad, even in New Jersey, and he鈥檚 been shattering fundraising records all year in his role as head of the Republican Governors Association. In June, Christie even appeared on "The Tonight Show" in 聽to poke fun of himself, doing an 鈥渆volution of dad dancing鈥� spoof with host Jimmy Fallon, who even mocked the governor's Bridge-gate troubles in a video that went viral.

Indeed, despite all Christie's troubles, voters are warming again to his tell-it-like-it-is political style, and his political team is poised to start showcasing it again.

鈥淚 think he鈥檚 back,鈥� says Matt Hale, professor of political science and public affairs at Seton Hall University in New Jersey. 鈥淣ot all the way, but I think Chris Christie certainly turned the corner on the whole setback with Bridge-gate.鈥�

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think he鈥檚 out of the woods -- there鈥檚 still the federal investigations, and obviously, if the feds come up with indictments or more subpoenas and all that, he鈥檚 right back where he began,鈥� Professor Hale continues. 鈥淏ut Democrats in New Jersey haven鈥檛 been able to make anything stick."

In January, Christie administration officials ordered the closure of access lanes at the George Washington Bridge, causing a traffic nightmare in Fort Lee, N.J. The move was an apparent political payback against the borough's Democratic mayor, who would not endorse Christie for reelection. The US Attorney in New Jersey is investigating the affair 鈥� as well as a few other of the governor's strong-arm tactics 鈥� to see if any laws were broken.

As Christi heads to Iowa for a three-city, three-fundraiser tour, observers say he is beginning to regain the spring in his step and the tartness in his tongue, doing what he does best: connecting with voters in town hall meetings, local diners, and other Main Street venues.

On Thursday morning, he will host an exclusive $25,000-a-pop fundraiser for Republican governors 鈥� which he鈥檚 been successfully doing all year. But in the evening, for the first time in a long while, he鈥檒l mix with the hoi polloi, attending an event at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds in Davenport that is open to the public for a mere $25.

After Bridge-gate, Christie鈥檚 popular rough-and-tumble style began to be seen as that of a bully rather than of a straight-talker, and the governor turned his rhetoric down 鈥� until now.

鈥淭he narrative of Chris Christie being a bully is, I think, something that probably isn鈥檛 going to play particularly well in Iowa, or indeed play well elsewhere,鈥� says Hale.

Indeed, the New Jersey governor favorably, according to a Quinnipiac University poll in June. He鈥檚 even been gaining in head-to-head survey matchups with former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who many see as the likely Democratic nominee.

After going to Iowa, site of America鈥檚 first presidential caucus, Christie will head to New Hampshire, site of the first presidential primary, for the second time in recent weeks.

In the Granite State, the New Jersey governor actually leads a crowded GOP field of likely candidates, the first choice for 19 percent of likely Republican primary voters, and the second choice of 10 percent more, according to a by the University of New Hampshire.

Sen. Rand Paul (R) of Kentucky polled second with 14 percent, and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush polled third with 11 percent. (Add Mitt Romney to the mix, however, and 39 percent of New Hampshire voters say they would prefer the 2012 Republican nominee.)

Even so, Christie also topped the list of candidates New Hampshire Republicans said they would never vote for, with 16 percent saying no way. Nine percent said they would never vote for Mr. Bush.

The Garden State governor, too, remains a pariah among tea party activists and many conservatives. A to blast Christie for his judicial appointments, buying two ads to coincide with the governor鈥檚 Iowa visit. His Republican rivals have been ratcheting up their criticisms of his economic record as well.

鈥淏ut the problems that he鈥檚 having in New Jersey take a while to explain 鈥� the bond ratings, the shenanigans he does with the budget,鈥� Hale says. 鈥淢eanwhile, Christie can say very clearly and directly, 鈥業 didn鈥檛 raise taxes, I fought the Democrats against tax increases.鈥� 鈥�

New Jersey saw its , making it among the most risky for banks to provide short-term loans. And Christie recently closed his state鈥檚 $1.7 billion budget gap by using scheduled payments to the public-worker pension fund 聽鈥� a book-balancing shift he had railed against as a candidate five years ago.

Yet even New Jersey voters may be tiring of the controversies and warming to their once-wildly-popular governor, who was reelected in a landslide last year. , and 45 percent have a favorable view of him, versus 38 who disapprove. 聽

On Wednesday afternoon, during a hedge-fund conference in Manhattan, the governor was asked about New Jersey鈥檚 sketchy finances. In reply, Christie parried aggressively, emphasizing his tax-fighting bonafides.

鈥淟ike I鈥檓 the guy at the gate trying to keep the barbarians away, you know, from increasing taxes even more,鈥� he , a financial conference sponsored by CNBC. 鈥�...Because they have to continue to feed the beast, of their patrons in the public-sector unions.鈥�

It鈥檚 a brash message that he hopes will resonate with conservative primary voters, as he battles his more conservative rivals.

鈥淪o, if you're dealing in a blue state like New Jersey 鈥� it鈥檚 a high-cost, high-tax state 鈥� and you鈥檝e been able to keep things stable for 4-1/2 years? With a Democratic legislature that鈥榮 trying to increase taxes all the time? I鈥檓 fairly content with what I鈥檝e been able to do.鈥�