Voters are warming up to New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and some of his left-wing policy priorities, according to a Siena University poll released Tuesday.
Mamdani, a self-avowed socialist, achieved a 46% favorability rating across New York state, marking an increase from his 40% favorable rating last month, according to the new poll. Meanwhile, by a 49-32% margin, up from 45-39% in November, voters statewide think that Mamdani‘s Nov. 4 mayoral victory will be good for New York City, per the poll.
Among New York City voters alone, 66% said Mamdani’s election will be good for the city, while 25% said it is bad for the city, according to the poll. This marks an increase from in November, when 57% said his being elected was a good thing for the city and 26% said it was a bad thing, the poll shows.
“Enjoy the honeymoon, Mayor-elect Mamdani,” Siena pollster Steven Greenberg said in a statement. “Two-thirds of Democrats across the state view him favorably. Independent voters are now leaning favorably by six points, while they were six points on the unfavorable side in November. And while he’s viewed favorably in New York City, 61-23%, voters outside the City, who were decidedly negative toward him last month, are now close to breakeven.”
“Two-thirds of City voters and a small plurality of voters outside the Big Apple say Mamdani’s election will be good for New York City. Two-thirds of Democrats say his election is good and two-thirds of Republicans say it is bad. Independent voters, 43-30%, up from 38-40% last month, now say it will be good,” Greenberg continued.
Mamdani has previously pledged to introduce a variety of taxpayer-funded “free” initiatives in the Big Apple, including “free” buses, “free” childcare and city-run grocery stores, according to his campaign website. The Democratic socialist has also vowed to “use every tool available” to bring down rent, create “world class public transit” and “make it easier” for New Yorkers to raise a family.
The poll found that 65% of respondents said they would support universal free childcare for infants through pre-K, paid for by increased taxes on New York taxpayers earning more than $1 million, while 27% disapprove. Moreover, 50% of New York City voters back eliminating bus fares in the city, paid for by increased taxes on city taxpayers who earn more than $1 million, compared to 41% who disapprove, according to the survey.
On Nov. 21, Mamdani and President Donald Trump held a meeting in the Oval Office which was widely described as friendly. Trump said during the meeting that he thinks Mamdani has the opportunity to “really do something great for New York.”
The Siena poll showed that New York voters were 20 points more likely to believe the mayor-elect and president will have a positive working relationship to benefit the city.
“Even after the friendly Oval Office meeting between the Mayor-elect and President Trump last month, a plurality of voters still thinks Mamdani and Trump will not work together to improve the quality of life for New Yorkers, 47-29%,” Greenberg noted. “However, that’s improved from November’s 67-14%. The significant movement on that question was across the board, from Democrats, Republicans, independents, as well as voters both inside and outside the City.”
The Siena Poll was conducted Dec. 8-12, among 801 registered voters in New York State. The poll has an overall margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.
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