November 21, 2023
Quality of Life in New York State
Marist New York State Poll
Hochul’s Approval Rating Suffers Amid Dissatisfaction with NYS Quality of Life... Most NYC Residents Perceive Wrongdoing in Adams’ Dealings with Turkey
Many New York State residents say the quality of life in the state has deteriorated over the last year, and Governor Kathy Hochul’s image is taking a hit. A majority of residents statewide, including more than four in ten Democrats, do not think Hochul is changing Albany for the better. They divide about Hochul’s job performance, and six in ten report Hochul is doing only a fair or poor job as governor. New York City Mayor Eric Adams faces his share of challenges as well. More than seven in ten New York City residents think Adams did something wrong in his dealings with Turkey during his 2021 campaign, and his job approval rating has plummeted from a 61% approval to a 54% disapproval.
Nearly six in ten New York State residents (59%) think the quality of life in New York has gotten worse during the past year, 11% say it has gotten better, and 30% believe it has not changed. 46% of Democrats, 78% of Republicans, and 67% of non-enrolled voters perceive a deterioration in New York’s quality of life.
56% of New Yorkers, including 43% of Democrats, do not think Hochul is improving the way things are working in Albany. 39% say she is having a positive effect on Albany. In October of 2021, 46% said Hochul was changing things for the better while 39% thought she was negatively impacting state government.
42% of New Yorkers disapprove of Hochul’s job performance as governor. 41% approve. In 2021, Hochul enjoyed a 49% job approval rating. New Yorkers are nearly twice as likely to strongly disapprove (26%) of Hochul’s job performance as strongly approve (15%). Presented a different way, 60% of New Yorkers say Hochul is doing a fair (28%) or poor job (32%) as governor.
A plurality of New Yorkers (45%) say Hochul’s ideology is on the mark. 39% of residents, including 19% of Democrats, report Hochul is too liberal, and 12% think Hochul is too conservative.
75% of New Yorkers, including 83% of Long Island residents, think Representative George Santos should resign from Congress. 82% of Democrats, 68% of Republicans, and 72% of non-enrolled voters in the state have this view.
"There’s no good news for New York’s major officials," says Lee M. Miringoff, Director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion. "Governor Hochul’s standing has deteriorated in the state, Mayor Adams faces a more negative constituency, and Representative Santos has hit rock bottom."
Nearly Half of NYS Voters Would Support Democrats in 2024 Congressional Elections
49% of registered voters statewide say they would select the Democratic candidate in their district in the 2024 congressional elections. 36% would back the Republican on the ballot, 3% would support another candidate, and 12% are unsure. Among non-enrolled voters, 37% would support the GOP candidate, 24% would back the Democrat, and 11% would choose another candidate. 28% of non-enrolled voters are unsure. In areas where many of the competitive congressional districts are located – the Hudson Valley counties of Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, and Ulster combined with the suburbs of New York City – the Democratic margin (45% to 40%) is more competitive than in the state overall.
New York State Approval Rating Roundup
Nearly half of voters statewide (48%) think U.S. Senator Charles Schumer is doing either an excellent (23%) or good (25%) job in office. Schumer’s approval rating is at its highest point since September 2016 (53%).
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s job approval rating is upside down, with a majority of voters (55%) saying she is doing either a fair or poor job. 40% report Gillibrand is doing either an excellent or good job in her post. Gillibrand’s negative rating has increased from 49% in August of 2021. Her approval score, at that time, was 37%.
President Joe Biden’s Job Approval Rating Upside Down in New York
President Joe Biden’s job approval rating in New York State is upside down. 53% of statewide voters disapprove of how he is doing his job, and 44% approve. The statewide electorate divided in October of 2022 when 49% disapproved of Biden’s job performance, and 48% approved. 42% of voters strongly disapprove of Biden’s job performance while 23% strongly approve.
NYC Residents Perceive Wrongdoing in Mayor Adams’ Interactions with Turkey
More than seven in ten New York City residents (72%) think Mayor Adams’ 2021 mayoral campaign did something wrong in its dealings with Turkey. This includes 33% who say Adams did something illegal and 39% who say he did something unethical but not illegal. Only 18% say Adams has done nothing wrong, and 10% are unsure.
Adams’ Job Approval Rating Plummets in NYC
A majority of New York City residents (54%) disapprove of how Mayor Adams is doing his job, and 37% approve. In March of 2022, residents approved of Adams’ job performance by more than two-to-one. 61%, at that time, approved of his job performance, and 24% disapproved. 33% of New York City residents strongly disapprove of how Adams is doing his job while only 15% strongly approve.