July 8, 2009
7/8: Bloomberg Approval Rating at 58%
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s approval rating may have waned a bit back in February, but by the looks of The Marist Poll’s new citywide survey, the mayor is on solid ground. 58% of registered New York City voters report Bloomberg is doing either an excellent or good job in office while 40% say he is performing fairly well or poorly. The mayor received similar ratings when Marist last asked this question in May. At that time, the mayor rebounded from Marist’s February survey when he received a lower, albeit still strong, approval rating — 52%.
Although Bloomberg’s approval rating crosses party lines, race comes into play. 68% of white voters and 64% of Latino voters give the mayor above average marks. This compares with just 37% of African American voters who share this view.
What does the electorate think about the city’s trajectory? A majority is positive about the city’s path. 52% report the city is moving in the right direction. This is compared with 38% who believe the opposite is true. Similar proportions of voters said the same in Marist’s May survey.
Table: Bloomberg Approval Rating
“Hard Working, Knows Our Problems, and a Good Leader, But Caring Mayor…Mike Is Not,” Says Voters
As in The Marist Poll’s May survey, voters in the Big Apple say they like Mike! 78% of the electorate thinks Bloomberg is working hard as mayor, 68% report he is a good leader for New York City, and 70% think Mayor Bloomberg has a firm grasp on the problems facing the city.
Voters have a different perception of Bloomberg, however, when it comes to being a mayor who cares about the average New Yorker. Here, the mayor fails to receive a majority of voters who believe he cares about people like them. In fact, the electorate divides with 48% saying Bloomberg is an empathetic mayor and 46% who disagree. In May, half of voters said the mayor cares about people like them.
Table: Bloomberg Working Hard As Mayor
Table: Understands the Problems Facing New York City
Table: Is a Good Leader for New York City
Table: Cares About People Like You
Majority Approves of Bloomberg’s Handling of City Schools, Economic Crisis, & Crime…Other Areas Need Work
The New York State Senate’s legislative inaction has taken control of the New York City public schools out of Mayor Bloomberg’s hands. But, according to a majority — 53% — of New York City voters, Mayor Bloomberg was doing a good job handling the schools. 38% disagree. When it comes to money matters, 51% report they like the way Mayor Bloomberg is dealing with the city’s economic crisis. This is compared with 40% who disagree. And, looking at the way the mayor is dealing with the city’s budget, 49% approve of Bloomberg’s plan while 41% disapprove.
On the issue of taxes, however, the tides turn against Mayor Bloomberg. A plurality of the city’s electorate — 49% — disapproves of how Mr. Bloomberg is addressing the situation. 44% approve. The mayor also needs to score some points on the question of public transportation. Here, a majority — 56% — say they do not like how the mayor is handling the issue while 39% think Bloomberg is dealing with the matter well. In all of these areas, the mayor received similar ratings in May.
Since that May survey, there has been a slight dip in the proportion of voters who approve of how Bloomberg is handling crime in New York City. Although nearly three-quarters of the electorate — 74% — currently support the mayor’s methods, 78% said the same two months ago.
Table: Bloomberg on Public Schools
Table: Bloomberg on Economic Crisis
Table: Bloomberg on the City’s Budget
Table: Bloomberg on Public Transportation
Lee Miringoff discusses Mayor Bloomberg’s latest poll numbers:
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