NEW YORK – New York City voters remain angry with Mayor Eric Adams, with just 12 percent committed to supporting his reelection as he battles federal corruption charges, a new poll shows.
A majority disapprove of his job performance, even though crime — his signature problem — is voters’ top concern, followed by immigration and the cost of living.
The results of a New York Times/Siena College poll released Saturday morning spell more trouble for the Democratic mayor: Three-quarters of respondents believe he has acted illegally or unethically, while a paltry 7 percent say he hasn’t done anything wrong. Republicans are more sympathetic to the centrist mayor, with four in 10 saying he has done something illegal, compared to 52 percent of Democrats.
Adams pleaded not guilty last month to a five-count criminal indictment of bribery and corruption and fired several top aides whose homes were raided in unrelated investigations. Prosecutors have indicated that more charges are coming.
The city’s second Black mayor has more support from Black voters than whites, but support from his multiracial base has eroded significantly since his 2021 victory. Forty-one percent of black respondents said they approved of his job performance, compared to 26 percent of Hispanics and 17 percent of whites. The deepest hostility over his handling of his role comes from Latinos who largely supported him three years ago, with 54 percent “strongly disapproving” of Adams.
Black and Hispanic voters were already growing tired of Adams, polls showed before the indictment was found. Last December, as New Yorkers were overwhelmingly frustrated with city budget cuts, his approval rating hit a record low of 28 percent in a Quinnipiac University poll, boosted by a weakening of his winning coalition.
Saturday’s poll showed that 53 percent of all respondents believe he should resign.
The poll offered mixed news for those seeking to unseat Adams in next year’s mayoral election. Should he run as planned, he will face a group of little-known Democrats who are polling in the low single digits — if they register with voters at all.
But two Democrats with high name recognition loom large.
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is looking to make a political comeback, leads the field with 22 percent, compared to Attorney General Tish James’s 19 percent in a poll with a 3.9 percent margin of error. James does slightly better among Democrats: 23 percent compared to Cuomo’s 21 percent.
That match would be cinematic: Cuomo resigned as governor in 2021 after James’ office reported he had sexually harassed 11 women, findings he denies.
Neither has said they would run and that both would need to quickly raise money for the June primary or for any previous nonpartisan elections due to a possible Adams resignation. The mayor has been scrambling to raise funds as he awaits news on whether the city’s Campaign Finance Board will award him taxpayer-backed matching funds.
The poll found that Cuomo is more attractive to independents and Republicans than Democrats by a razor-thin margin, likely giving him the advantage in nonpartisan elections.
Both he and James defeated the field of declared candidates, led by City Comptroller Brad Lander — a Democrat on the left flank who has the challengers’ most sophisticated operation. Only 4 percent of voters said they would support Lander, compared to even fewer voters who support candidates Scott Stringer, Zellnor Myrie and Jessica Ramos. But Lander has room to grow, as the poll shows 36 percent have never heard of him.
Lander, Myrie and Stringer are each sitting on more than $200,000 as they wait for the matching money to be paid out in December. Lander — who has already spent nearly $700,000 on the race — has generated by far the most interest from donors. Ramos, a recently announced senator, is leading the way in fundraising.
Senator Zohran Mamdani reported an outpouring of fundraising and support from the Democratic Socialists of America when he announced his candidacy this week. He is not included in the poll.
Candidates have largely focused on Adams’ corruption problems and the city’s high cost of living, but the poll shows they would benefit from addressing New Yorkers’ concerns about crime.
Nearly half of voters surveyed said crime is “out of control” — a claim not supported by NYPD statistics. Crimes measured by the department are down nearly 10 percent this year compared to last year, but crimes have increased and crime remains above pre-pandemic lows.
Still, many New Yorkers say they don’t feel safe. Of the 728 who responded to a question about their top concerns, 27 percent ranked crime as the highest — making it the most important issue heading into reelection, followed by immigration at 19 percent and the cost of living at 15 percent.
Concerns about public safety were most common among seniors, Hispanics and residents of the Bronx and Staten Island — a cross-section of New Yorkers representing the financially distressed working class, as well as groups of politically conservative voters.
Three-quarters of Republicans said crime is “out of control,” compared to 37 percent of Democrats, echoing the positions and rhetoric of presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.
No candidate – announced or perceived – would comment on the poll.
