New Survey Finds Nearly Half of New Yorkers Approve of Mayor Zohran Mamdani

It has been a strong start to Zohran Mamdani's tenure as mayor of New York City, with nearly half of New Yorkers approving of his job performance, according to a new poll.

As he approaches his 100th day in office, Mamdani, New York's first Muslim and first South Asian mayor, is showing solid support, with a poll from the Marist Institute of Public Opinion finding that 48 percent of New Yorkers approve of his work, while 30 percent disapprove. Another 23 percent said they are unsure.

The survey, reported by The New York Times, is the first high-quality nonpartisan poll to capture New Yorkers' views of Mamdani since he took office on Jan. 1.

Beyond overall approval, the poll revealed additional signs of support. It found that more than 60 percent of residents believe he is hard-working and a good leader who understands the issues facing New York City.

As noted by The New York Times, the survey was conducted in late March and included responses from 1,454 adults, with a margin of error of 3.3 percentage points.

Beyond approval of his performance, respondents appeared more optimistic about the city's direction compared to last year. According to the survey, 56 percent of New Yorkers said things were moving in the right direction, a significant increase from last October, when only 31 percent said they were optimistic under Mayor Eric Adams.

The support may be tied to early progress on campaign promises, most notably reaching a deal with Gov. Kathy Hochul to expand free child care across the city in the coming years.

As noted by the poll, compared with his predecessors at similar points in their administrations, Mamdani outperforms Adams and Bill de Blasio among registered voters in terms of delivering positive change in the city.

Mamdani, who was elected last November after defeating former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, ran a campaign focused on addressing the affordability crisis. Nearly 100 days into the job, New Yorkers believe he is working hard to deliver those promises.

According to the survey, 74 percent of residents say Mamdani is working hard as mayor, while 60 percent think he is fulfilling his campaign promises.

"It's a good start," said Lee M. Miringoff, the director of the Marist poll. "But New York City doesn't give a honeymoon easily, and I think it's still a proving time for him."