A clear plurality of New York City residents approve of the job Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) is doing as he approaches his 100th day in office, according to a new poll from the Marist Institute for Public Opinion.
In the survey conducted throughout the last week in March, 48 percent of New Yorkers said they approve of the city's first democratic socialist mayor, while 30 percent said they disapprove of his job performance. Another 23 percent said they were not sure.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive supporters and Democratic allies have pointed to Mamdani's early polling as evidence of a successful transition for the city's first democratic socialist mayor. The Marist survey found that 74 percent of respondents say Mamdani is working hard as mayor, and 61 percent say he understands the problems facing the city, is a good leader, cares about people like them and is doing more to unite the city than divide it.
The poll also showed a dramatic shift in sentiment about the city's direction. A majority of New Yorkers — 56 percent — said things are moving in the right direction, compared to just 31 percent who said so in October 2025. Supporters have attributed this shift to Mamdani's campaign focus on addressing the affordability crisis.
Progressive groups that backed Mamdani's campaign have noted that his approval rating of 48 percent is in line with former Mayor Bill de Blasio's 49 percent rating after his first 100 days in office in 2014. Additionally, 60 percent of respondents said they believe the mayor is fulfilling his campaign promises.
What the Right Is Saying
Critics from the right and some moderate Democrats have highlighted that Mamdani's approval rating trails his predecessor by a significant margin. Former Mayor Eric Adams had a 61 percent approval rating as he approached his 100-day mark in 2022, compared to Mamdani's 48 percent. At that time, only 24 percent disapproved of Adams, while 30 percent disapprove of Mamdani.
Republican opponents and conservative commentators have pointed to the 30 percent disapproval rate as a sign of substantial opposition to the new mayor's agenda. They have also noted that 23 percent of respondents remain unsure about Mamdani's performance, suggesting potential vulnerability as he moves deeper into his term.
The poll showed that 33 percent of New Yorkers have an unfavorable view of Mamdani, which some conservative critics have argued reflects concerns about his progressive policy platform. Additionally, 43 percent of residents said the city is moving in the wrong direction, which critics say indicates widespread dissatisfaction despite the plurality approval.
What the Numbers Show
The Marist Institute poll, conducted March 26-31, surveyed 1,454 New York City residents and has a margin of error of 3.3 percentage points.
Mamdani received 48 percent approval, with 30 percent disapproving and 23 percent unsure. This compares to Eric Adams' 61 percent approval at his 100-day mark in 2022, when 24 percent disapproved and 15 percent were unsure.
On favorability, 55 percent view Mamdani favorably while 33 percent view him unfavorably. The poll found that 74 percent say he is working hard, and 60 percent believe he is fulfilling his campaign promises.
Regarding the city's direction, 56 percent say things are moving in the right direction, up dramatically from 31 percent in October 2025. The shift represents a 25-point increase in optimism about the city's trajectory.
Mamdani was elected in November 2025 with 50.9 percent of the vote, defeating former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (41.4 percent) and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa (7 percent).
The Bottom Line
Mamdani enters his 100th day in office with a plurality but not majority approval, positioning him similarly to past mayors Bill de Blasio and Eric Adams at comparable points in their terms. His 48 percent approval rating is 13 points lower than Adams' at the same stage but nearly identical to de Blasio's in 2014.
The polling suggests Mamdani has succeeded in shifting public sentiment about the city's direction, with a majority now saying things are moving in the right direction for the first time in over a year. However, nearly one-third of New Yorkers disapprove of his performance, and the large share of undecided voters (23 percent) indicates potential for movement in either direction.
As Mamdani approaches his 100th day, the polling presents a mixed picture: strong personal favorables and perceptions of hard work, but approval that falls short of his predecessor's early performance. The 30 percent disapproval rate and 23 percent unsure represent a substantial block of voters the mayor will need to address as he advances his policy agenda around housing affordability and city services.