Poll Reveals Mixed Reactions to Mayor Zoran Mamdani’s Early Days

Mayor Zoran Mamdani’s initial 100 days in office have raised concerns among Hispanic, Black, and Asian voters. A recent poll shows that a significant number of New Yorkers feel the city is heading in the wrong direction.

An Emerson College/Picus 11 survey indicated that 59% of registered voters think New York City is not on the right track, whereas only 41% believe it is progressing positively. Notably, 68% of Hispanic respondents, 64% of Asians, and 58% of Blacks feel the same way.

In contrast, white voters are almost evenly split: 51% think the city is moving in the right direction, while 49% disagree.

When it comes to economic sentiments, a striking 82% of Hispanic voters rated the economy as either fair or poor, with 79% of Black voters echoing this sentiment.

Interestingly, a notable portion of voters seem undecided about Mamdani’s role as mayor.

Overall, 43% of those surveyed approved of Mamdani’s performance, while 27% disapproved. However, about 30% of voters fell into a neutral or unsure category regarding his leadership.

Emerson College posed a question about voting satisfaction: “Zoran Mamdani has only been in office for a short time, but which of the three positions sums up your thinking today?”

• 22.9% said the city had made a mistake in electing him.
• 31.7% felt it was too early to form a judgment about Mamdani’s administration.
• 37.3% expressed confidence in Mamdani’s leadership.
• 8% were unsure.

This adds up to nearly 40% of voters who are still unsure about their stance on Mamdani.

Yet, there are positive signs in the polling data. Voters who participated in last year’s mayoral elections generally rated Mamdani’s performance more favorably.

“Among those who voted in the November election, Mamdani enjoys a 26-point net positive rating (55% approval, 29% disapproval), contrasting with just a modest 9-point net positive rating (35% approval, 26% disapproval) among those who didn’t vote,” explained Spencer Kimball, director of Emerson College Polling.

About 59% of voters stated that they feel Mamdani is addressing matters that are important to them, while 41% disagreed.

Reflecting on how he managed the recent winter storm, 62% rated him with an “A” or “B,” while 38% gave him lower grades.

Poll participants were also asked to weigh in on Mamdani’s handling of various issues, such as housing affordability, childcare, public safety, and the city budget. He received the highest approval for childcare, with 54% rating him positively, followed by housing affordability (49% approval) and public safety (45%). The city budget drew the most division, where 40% approved and 37% disapproved.

Regarding the $5.4 billion budget gap, 55% of respondents believe the state should impose higher taxes on the wealthy, whereas 41% think better expenditure management in New York City is key.

Surprisingly, only 4% support property tax hikes, which Mamdani suggested as a last resort if other tax options fail. A majority, around two-thirds, favor a tax on billionaires, while 20% are against it and 15% are undecided.

Furthermore, 44% of voters don’t believe raising corporate taxes would push businesses out of the city, although 30% do think it would, while 27% are uncertain.

The Emerson College/Pix 11 poll involved 850 registered voters and was conducted from April 5 to April 6, carrying a margin of error of ±3.4 percentage points, with respondents reached through phone texts and panel interviews.