As New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani approaches his first 100 days in office, a new Marist Poll indicates that nearly half of residents approve of his performance, while a majority believe the city is moving in the right direction. The survey, conducted from March 26 to March 31, 2026, found that 48% of New Yorkers support Mamdani’s job as mayor, compared with 30% who disapprove and 23% who are undecided.
Mamdani’s approval falls below that of his predecessor, Eric Adams, who held a 61% approval rating at the same point in 2022. The poll also showed that Mamdani receives strong backing from Democrats, with 63% approving of his leadership, while Republicans largely disapprove at 63%. Independents are divided, with 27% in support and 41% expressing disapproval.
The survey highlighted positive perceptions of Mamdani’s leadership qualities. A majority of respondents view him as hard-working, caring, and attentive to the city’s problems. Approximately 73% agree that he is putting in significant effort, and 64% believe he understands the challenges facing New York City. Furthermore, 60% of residents say the mayor “cares about people like you,” while a similar proportion feels he represents all city residents.
Borough-level data reveal variations in support, with the highest approval in Manhattan (55%) and Brooklyn (54%), while Staten Island shows a majority disapproving of Mamdani’s performance at 57%. Overall, 56% of residents feel that the city is heading in the right direction, a notable improvement from October 2025, when only 31% expressed optimism.
Mamdani also received high marks for his administration’s handling of winter storms, with 65% of city residents approving of the response, though Staten Island again expressed lower support. Regarding collaboration with political leaders, 60% of respondents believe Mamdani is maintaining the right balance with Governor Kathy Hochul, while 59% feel he is appropriately engaging with President Donald Trump.
The Marist Poll surveyed 1,454 adults, including 1,247 registered voters, using a combination of phone, text, and online interviews. Data were weighted to reflect the city’s demographics, and results are considered statistically significant within a margin of error of ±3.3 percentage points for adults and ±3.5 points for registered voters. Historical comparisons suggest that Mamdani’s early approval aligns closely with that of former Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2014 but trails the initial ratings of Adams.
