10/18: Quinn Still Leader of Democratic Field, But…

Looking ahead to the 2013 Democratic primary for mayor, New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn has the support of 23% of Democrats citywide.  Former City Comptroller Bill Thompson follows with 15%.  Nine percent of registered Democrats citywide are for current Comptroller John Liu while 8% support Public Advocate Bill de Blasio.  Six percent back Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer while the publisher of Manhattan Media, Tom Allon, receives 2%.  Nearly four in ten registered Democrats in New York City — 37% — are unsure.

Click Here for Complete October 18, 2012 NYC NY1-Marist Poll Release and Tables

“There’s still a long way to go before Democrats go to the polls,” says Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, Director of The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion.  “Nearly four in ten Democrats in the city are undecided.”

When compared with NY1-Marist’s April survey, more Democrats in the city are unsure about whom to support in the contest.  At that time, more than three in ten New York City Democrats — 32% — favored Quinn.  12% supported Thompson, and 10% were for de Blasio.  Liu received the backing of 9% while Stringer garnered 7%.  Only 1% of Democrats were behind Allon, and 29% were unsure.

Table: 2013 Democratic Primary for Mayor

Plurality Says, “No Go” for Kelly Mayoralty

46% of registered voters in New York City do not want Police Commissioner Ray Kelly to run for mayor.  35% support a Kelly candidacy.  19% are unsure.

In NY1-Marist’s July 2011 survey, voters divided.  42% believed Kelly should stay out of the race while the same proportion — 42% — wanted him to throw his hat into the ring.  16%, at that time, were unsure.

Other well-known names have been bandied about as possible mayoralty candidates.  How do they fare?  58% of registered voters citywide do not want Anthony Weiner to run for mayor while one in four — 25% — does.  17% are unsure.

There has been little change on this question since NY1-Marist last reported it in July of 2011.  At that time, 64% of voters citywide did not want Weiner to seek the office while 26% did.  One in ten, at that time, was unsure.

When it comes to Eliot Spitzer, 57% of registered voters want him to stay out of the contest while 30% would like to see him enter it.  13% are unsure.  Here, too, there is little difference from the last time this question was asked in July of 2011.  At that time, the same proportion — 57% — reported Spitzer should not run for mayor while 33% thought he should.  Nine percent, then, were unsure.

What about actor Alec Baldwin?  66% of registered voters say they don’t want the actor to turn politician.  18%, though, would like to see Baldwin enter the contest.  16% are unsure.

Table: Police Commissioner Ray Kelly 2013 Mayoralty?

Table: Former Congressman Anthony Weiner 2013 Mayoralty?

Table: Former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer 2013 Mayoralty?

Table: Actor Alec Baldwin 2013 Mayoralty?

Bloomberg Approval Rating Steady

45% of registered voters in New York City approve of the job Mayor Michael Bloomberg is doing in office.  This includes 10% who say he is doing an excellent job and 35% who report he is doing a good one.  32% report his performance is fair while 20% call it poor.  Only three percent are unsure.

When NY1-Marist last reported this question in April, 44% of registered voters gave Bloomberg high marks.  Included here were 12% who said he was doing an excellent job and 32% who believed he was doing a good one.  33% gave the mayor average grades while 22% thought his performance was subpar.  Only 1%, then, was unsure.

Table: Mayor Michael Bloomberg Approval Rating

Table: Mayor Michael Bloomberg Approval Rating Over Time

Bloomberg’s Legacy

How will Mayor Bloomberg be remembered after he leaves office?  43% of registered voters believe he will leave a positive legacy.  This includes 12% who think he will be remembered as one of the city’s best mayors and 31% who say he will be considered an above average mayor.  34% think Bloomberg will be thought of as an average mayor while 12% report he will be remembered as a below average one.  Eight percent have low expectations and say Bloomberg will be considered one of the city’s worst mayors.

Little has changed on this question since April.  At that time, 39% thought Bloomberg would leave a positive legacy behind.  39% said he would be considered an average mayor while 13% believed he would be looked upon as a subpar mayor.  Nine percent, at that time, reported Bloomberg would be thought of as one of New York City’s worst mayors.

Table: Bloomberg’s Legacy

Table: Bloomberg’s Legacy Over Time

Majority Remains Optimistic about the Direction of the City

51% of registered voters citywide say the Big Apple is moving in the right direction.  38%, however, believe it is moving in the wrong one.  10% are unsure.

Here, too, the findings are similar to the NY1-Marist April survey when 52% thought New York City was on the right course.  More than four in ten voters — 42% — said it was on the wrong one, and 6% were unsure.

Table: New York City Direction

Table: New York City Direction Over Time

How the Survey Was Conducted

Nature of the Sample

 

4/24: Bloomberg, City Schools Receive Low Grades

A majority of New York City voters may want to put Mayor Michael Bloomberg on academic probation.  While 34% approve of his handling of the city’s public schools, 56% disapprove.  10% are unsure.  This is Bloomberg’s lowest approval rating on this issue since March of 2011 when 27% approved of how he was addressing the issue.

Click Here for Complete April 24, 2012 NYC NY1-Marist Poll Release and Tables

When NY1-Marist last reported this question in September, 41% approved of the mayor’s performance on education while 48% disapproved.  11%, at the time, were unsure.

“Dissatisfaction with New York City’s public schools remains high,” says Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, Director of The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion.  “New Yorkers want the next mayor to move in a different direction.”

Key points:

• Bloomberg’s approval rating on education has dropped in the Bronx – 29% — and in Manhattan — 37%.  In September, those proportions were 40% and 48%, respectively.
• In Queens and Staten Island – 36% — and in Brooklyn — 34%, there has been little change from September when 40% and 38%, respectively, gave Bloomberg high marks on his handling of education.

Many New York City residents are not thrilled with the public schools in their neighborhoods.  Only 38% of adults citywide give their local schools good grades.  Included here are 9% who rate their public schools as excellent and 29% who say they are good.  35% believe they are doing a fair job while 18% rate them poorly.  Nine percent are unsure.  Identical proportions of registered voters in the city share these views as well.

In NY1-Marist’s September survey, 43% of those living in New York City thought well of their neighborhood schools.  30% gave them a fair rating while 18% reported they fell short.  Nine percent, at the time, were unsure.

Looking at households who have a child in the New York City public schools, 45% believe the public schools are doing either an excellent — 11% — or good — 34% — job educating their children.  37% think the schools are doing an average job while 15% believe they are falling short.  Two percent are unsure.

Table: Bloomberg on Public Schools

Table: Bloomberg on Public Schools Over Time

Table: New York City Public Schools Rating

More Than Six in Ten NYC Residents Want Next Mayor to Make Changes in Education

62% of adults in New York City want the city’s next mayor to take the public schools in a different direction.  27%, however, want Bloomberg’s successor to continue with Mayor Bloomberg’s education policy, and 11% are unsure.

Key points:

• Nearly two-thirds of households with a child in the New York City public schools — 65% — want the next mayor to change the direction of education policy in the city.
• 69% of adults in the Bronx, 65% of those in Brooklyn, 60% of residents in Queens and Staten Island, and 55% in Manhattan desire changes in public schools.

Table: Next Mayor’s Direction of Education Policy in NYC

Dennis Walcott’s Approval Rating at 34%

34% of adults citywide think the city’s top educator, Dennis Walcott, is doing either an excellent — 6% — or good — 28% — job as New York City Schools Chancellor.  35% rate Walcott as fair while 14% give him a poor rating.  17% are unsure or have never heard of him.  In NY1-Marist’s September survey, Walcott’s approval rating was 31%.  38% thought he was doing an average job while 9% thought he missed the mark.  22%, at that time, were unsure.

Table: New York City Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott Job Approval Rating

Majority Approves of Kelly’s Job Performance

As speculation continues about a mayoralty run by New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, the commissioner enjoys a 55% job approval rating.  This includes 21% of adults who believe Kelly is excelling in his position and 34% who report he is doing a good job.  28% rate the Police Commissioner’s performance as fair while 13% believe he is performing poorly.  Four percent are unsure.

Kelly’s approval rating is 70% among white residents, 48% among Latinos, and 42% among African American residents in the city.

The views of registered voters reflect those of the overall population in the city.  56% of voters give Kelly high marks.  28% think his performance is average while 13% say he has missed the mark.  Three percent are unsure.

Table: New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly Job Approval Rating

How the Survey Was Conducted

Nature of the Sample