New York Mayor Eric Adams' approval rating falls to record 28%: poll

New York City Mayor Eric Adams' approval rating hit a record low of 28 percent in a poll released Wednesday.

The Quinnipiac University Poll comes as the mayor struggles to overcome a corruption scandal around his campaign, a report of sexual assaultdeep city budget cuts and an influx of immigration, he said “will destroy” the city.

Only 28 percent of those polled approve of Adams' term as mayor, and 58 percent disapprove. This is the lowest approval rating Quinnipiac has tracked since it began polling in 1996.

“There is no good news for Mayor Adams in this poll,” said Mary Snow, Quinnipiac's deputy director. “Not only are voters giving him poor marks for the job he's doing at City Hall, but their opinions of his character have been clouded.”

The campaign investigation alleges that Adams facilitated illegal interest donations in Turkey. The FBI raided the home of a top aide earlier last month and Adams' personal electronics were seized as evidence. He has not been directly charged with a crime and has denied the allegations.

He has also denied a sexual assault allegation made late last month by a former colleague, who said she was assaulted while they worked together in 1993. Adams denied knowing the accuser.

According to the poll, New York voters have little faith in Adams, with only 32 percent of respondents describing him as honest and trustworthy and 40 percent saying he has good leadership qualities.

Nearly 60 percent of respondents said the sexual assault allegations are very or somewhat serious, and just over a third of respondents said they believe Adams is being truthful in his response to the situation.

Adams' checkered tenure has been marred by fights with the White House over immigration policy; Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul (DN.Y.) have pressed President Biden to provide more assistance to the state to help manage waves of migrants.

The mayor has it directly pushed Biden back, calling White House policy on the issue “wrong.” Adams and Hochul have urged the Biden administration to expedite work permits for migrants in the state.

Survey respondents shared Adams' concerns, with about 80% of respondents being very or somewhat concerned about the influx of migrants into New York City. A similar 80 percent said they don't think the federal government is doing enough to help the state.

The Quinnipiac poll polled about 1,300 New York City residents last week, with a margin of error of 2.7 percent.