Political insiders unimpressed with both Hochul and Adams: Poll

Political insiders are largely unimpressed with both Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, giving the state’s two most powerful leaders dismal approval ratings. Just 22% of insiders surveyed say Hochul is doing an “excellent” or “good” job, and only 19% of them say the same for Adams. 

That’s according to the latest City & State/Honan Strategy Group poll of City & State subscribers. Linked through the First Read and First Read Tonight newsletter, 588 online surveys were completed between May 2 and May 5. 

City & State + Honan Strategy Group Insiders Survey by City & State NY on Scribd

These respondents are likely to work in politics and government, or at least follow the news closely. And they have a notably less positive view of Hochul and Adams than voters as a whole. An April Siena College poll of New York state registered voters found 36% thought Hochul was doing an “excellent” or “good” job, while 30% rated it “fair” and 27% “poor.” Political insiders surveyed in May were somewhat more critical, with 35% saying Hochul was doing a “fair” job and the plurality – 40% – rating it as “poor.” 

It’s a similar case for Adams. Just 2% of insiders rated the job he’s doing as “excellent,” 17% as “good,” 29% as “fair” and nearly half, 49%, as “poor.” New York City residents polled by Marist in March were more positive. Some 9% rated the job Adams is doing as “excellent,” 29% as “good,” 37% as “fair” and just 14% as “poor.” 

However, public opinion on Adams may have soured slightly on Adams in those last two months. Though Quinnipiac polls asked New York City registered voters a broader approve/disapprove question of Adams, they showed that his approval rating was down slightly from the beginning of his term. 

The City & State/Honan Strategy Group survey may hold some hints as to Hochul’s relatively low approval, at least. A whopping 83% of respondents did not think that giving a $600 million state subsidy to the Buffalo Bills’ new stadium was the right thing to do. Just 11% approved. And 69% of respondents support the “good cause” eviction bill. Hochul has shown little interest in supporting that legislation. 

Still, the May poll also shows that insiders are pretty confident in the governor’s reelection chances – 73% of respondents expect her to win the primary, compared to just 12% who think Rep. Tom Suozzi will win, and 4% for New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. But they do think the general election could be difficult for her. A plurality of respondents, 41%, think hochul will win the general election, but expect the race to be right. Assuming Hochul wins the primary, 28% think she will win reelection in a landslide, while just 9% think Hochul will “possibly” or “likely” lose in November. Another 18% say it’s too soon to say. 

Another result from the poll suggests that political insiders aren’t as concerned with losing their summer vacations as you might think. The poll found 75% of respondents said there should be a single, consolidated primary election in August, while just 13% prefer the current set-up, with some primary elections contested in June, and others in August.