More than half of New York City voters want Mayor Eric Adams to resign from office, as the embattled Democrat faces scrutiny over his federal corruption charges that the Department of Justice is seeking to dismiss with prejudice.
Fifty-six percent say Adams should step down, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday. Thirty-five percent say he should stay. Republicans and Democrats differ greatly in their views on Adams’s future: 72 percent of Democrats want the mayor to resign, while 68 percent of Republicans do not want him to resign.
The new poll finds Adams’s job approval rating at just 20 percent — the lowest of any New York City mayor in the past 30 years that Quinnipiac has been polling voters on the matter. The previous record low came in December 2023 at 28 percent, also set by Adams.
The incumbent mayor has faced numerous calls to resign from fellow Democrats, except for Governor Kathy Hochul, who has not yet publicly called for his departure. She considered removing him from office but ultimately decided to let the upcoming mayoral election in November decide his fate — at least for now.
In the meantime, his federal case remains up in the air as a judge considers whether to dismiss Adams’s indictment as President Donald Trump’s Justice Department has requested.
Adams has been working with Trump’s border czar Tom Homan on immigration enforcement, fueling allegations that his case was to be dropped in return for his cooperation. The defendant has denied the allegations of a “quid pro quo” and any wrongdoing regarding the charges.
In September, Adams was indicted on five counts of corruption related to his alleged acceptance of benefits, such as free luxury travel from Turkish officials, in exchange for pressuring city inspectors to open a new Turkish consulate building in Manhattan without a proper fire inspection. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In the Quinnipiac survey, 40 percent of respondents believed Adams did something illegal. Meanwhile, 31 percent believed he did something unethical but nothing illegal, and 13 percent believed he did nothing wrong. Seventy-three percent of voters say they have been closely following developments in the case.
Additionally, 63 percent think the charges should not be dropped and 25 percent thought the opposite.
Judge Dale Ho will review written briefs, required to be filed by Friday, and consider oral arguments on March 14 from both sides of the case. Because the prosecution and defense both want the case dismissed, Judge Ho appointed conservative lawyer Paul Clement to argue for the opposing perspective. After the court hearing next week, a decision on the case’s dismissal will be forthcoming.
Adams will face a tough reelection bid this year, as he prepares to go up against Andrew Cuomo and other contenders. The former New York governor, who launched his mayoral campaign last weekend, is already a clear favorite in the race.
If the Democratic primary scheduled for June 24 were held today, Cuomo would receive 31 percent support — 20 points ahead of Adams. Quinnipiac conducted the survey from February 27 to March 3; Cuomo entered the race on March 1.
Cuomo stepped down as governor in August 2021 after he was accused of sexually harassing multiple female employees to avoid impeachment. He was succeeded by his lieutenant governor, Hochul, who served the remainder of his third term and won the 2022 election. Cuomo has denied the sexual assault allegations.
“Three and a half years after scandals forced him to resign as New York’s governor, Andrew Cuomo leads a crowded field of Democratic mayoral hopefuls with a boost from moderate Democrats,” said Quinnipiac University Poll Assistant Director Mary Snow. “A key number to watch: 16 percent, the slice of voters who are undecided as this race gains more attention.”