New York City Mayor Eric Adams faced a sharp decline in his approval rating, reaching an unprecedented low of 28%, according to a recent Quinnipiac poll. This marks the lowest recorded approval for a mayor in the university’s history, reflecting a nine-point drop from his February rating of 37%. The current rating is also three points lower than the previous low of 31% recorded for former Mayor Mike Bloomberg in 2003. The survey, capturing the sentiments of registered NYC voters, highlighted widespread dissatisfaction, with 58% expressing disapproval of Adams’ performance. Assistant director Mary Snow of the Quinnipiac College Poll noted the prevailing sense of worry and discontent among voters, attributing it to budget cuts, a migrant crisis, and headlines about a federal investigation into Adams’ 2021 campaign and a sexual assault accusation from 30 years ago.
While Adams received a positive rating from Black voters, with 48% approving of his job performance, only 38% gave a favorable rating. Among fellow Democrats, 35% believed he was doing a good job, while 49% disapproved. Adams faced criticism on crucial issues, with 60% disapproving of his handling of crime, indicating potential challenges as he enters the mid-term of his mayoralty. The migrant crisis and tackling homelessness also garnered significant disapproval, with 66% and 72%, respectively. Public schools management received a 53% disapproval rate, while only 31% approved. Additionally, voter perceptions of Adams’ leadership qualities, understanding of problems, honesty, and trustworthiness showed negative trends, with 40% acknowledging strong leadership and 56% expressing a lack of understanding of their problems.
In response to the federal investigation into potential foreign money in Adams’ mayoral campaign, 52% of voters believed he did something illegal or unethical, while 20% thought he did nothing wrong, with the remainder undecided. Despite not facing criminal accusations, Adams vehemently denies any wrongdoing. Voters were divided on the truthfulness of Adams’ denial regarding a sexual assault accusation made by a woman in a lawsuit, revealing mixed opinions on this matter. Allies of the mayor, however, came to his defense, emphasizing his commitment to building an inclusive city, creating jobs, ensuring public safety, and providing affordable housing. The mayor’s efforts during the post-COVID era were recognized, with mentions of job recovery, new business formations, and handling the national migrant crisis with limited federal support.