A survey conducted by the Manhattan Institute from April 8th to 11th, 2024, reveals a challenging outlook for incumbent New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
According to the survey, 73% of likely voters disapprove of Adams’s performance, with only 16% supporting his reelection.
Two-thirds of the respondents said they would vote for someone other than Adams.
The mayor’s approval ratings are dismal, dipping below 20% among independents and merely reaching 30% among Democrats. Particularly concerning is his low 9% approval rating among 18–29-year-olds.
Host Errol Louis posted on X, “In all five of the city’s boroughs, likely voters overwhelmingly disapprove of Adams’s job performance. Even in his strongest demographic, black voters, Adams’s approval rating is net negative.”
For the upcoming 2025 NYC mayoral election, according to the survey, New Yorkers view former President Donald Trump more favorably than Mayor Adams.
On city issues, nearly 70% of those surveyed believe NYC is on the wrong track, with only 15% viewing the city’s direction positively.
Crime is the top concern for 40% of likely voters, overshadowing other issues like housing costs 22% and immigration 16%.
A majority across all racial and political groups feel the city has become less safe compared to four years ago, with 62% endorsing this view.
Plans to close Rikers Island have not been well received, with most preferring to keep the jail operational.
The immigration issue also evokes strong reactions, with concerns about recent migrant inflows.
While 43% of likely voters favor deportation for handling illegal migrants, only 22% support a pathway to citizenship.
NYC’s policies, such as the “right to shelter,” the mayor’s debit card initiative, and the sanctuary city designation, receive divided opinions, indicating varying levels of support and opposition across different voter demographics.
In terms of electoral reform, there is a clear preference for changing the current system. Open and nonpartisan primaries are favored for increasing voter participation, with 33% supporting nonpartisan primaries and 25% favoring open primaries.
Additionally, there is majority support for reducing the deadline for changing party enrollment from 132 days to just 29 days, aligning local elections with national elections, and maintaining ranked-choice voting.
In the broader political context, President Joe Biden maintains a strong position over Trump in the upcoming 2024 presidential election, with a 27-point lead among NYC voters. However, this lead varies across boroughs, with Biden enjoying majority support in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx and trailing particularly in Staten Island.
Interestingly, Trump performs better among public-sector union employees than other voter groups.
Democratic voters in NYC express dissatisfaction with their party, with only 65% feeling that the Democratic Party represents their values well, compared to 76% of Republicans who feel adequately represented by their party.
A third of Democrats attribute their party affiliation more to strategic reasons rather than alignment with their values.
