Voters seem to be showing increasing interest in Zoran Mamdani, the incoming Mayor of New York City, along with some of his progressive policy goals, based on a recent Siena College poll released on Tuesday.
Mamdani, who labels himself as a socialist, has seen his favorability rating rise to 46% across the state, up from 40% the previous month. Polling indicates that many believe his win as mayor on November 4 will benefit New York City, with a 49-32% margin favoring that view, an improvement from 45-39% in November.
Among city voters, 66% believe Mamdani’s election will positively impact New York City, while 25% hold the opposite view. This contrasts with November, where 57% saw his election as positive and 26% as negative.
Siena pollster Steven Greenberg shared some insights: “Enjoy your honeymoon, Mayor-elect Mamdani. Two-thirds of Democrats view him favorably. Independent voters have shifted to a slight 6-point favorability from a 6-point unfavorable stance last month. In New York City, 61% view him positively, but voters from outside the city, who were disapproving of him before, are nearing a split decision.”
He continued, “Overall, a two-thirds majority in the city and some voters outside think Mamdani’s election will be beneficial. While most Democrats support him, a similar number of Republicans think it’s a negative development. Independent voters now show a favorable opinion at 43% to 30%, an increase from last month’s 38% to 40%.”
Mamdani has committed to launching various taxpayer-funded initiatives, which include “free” buses, “free” child care, and city-managed grocery stores. According to the poll, 65% of respondents advocate for universal free childcare for infants and toddlers through preschool, funded by higher taxes on those earning above $1 million in New York, with 27% against it. Furthermore, 50% of city voters are in favor of eliminating bus fares, funded by a tax hike for high-income city taxpayers, while 41% oppose this idea.
In a prior meeting in the Oval Office with former President Trump, Mamdani was described as having a cordial interaction. Trump noted that he believes Mamdani has the potential to “do something really great for New York.”
The Siena poll indicates that New York voters are now 20 points more optimistic about the possibility of a beneficial working relationship between the new mayor and the president.
However, Greenberg pointed out, “Even after their friendly meeting, a majority of voters remain skeptical about whether Mamdani and Trump will collaborate effectively for New Yorkers’ well-being, favoring this view 47% to 29%. Still, it marks a significant improvement from 67% to 14% in November, showing progress among Democrats, Republicans, independents, and voters in and out of the city.”
This Siena poll was conducted from December 8-12 with 801 registered voters in New York state, and it carries a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.
