Mamdani hits challenges even as his popularity rises in polls

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) is facing some steep challenges more than seven months into his historic tenure, but New Yorkers show no sign of souring on him.

A Siena College poll out last week found that 69 percent of New York City voters had a favorable view of Mamdani, a notable jump from 58 percent in June.

The latest figure narrowly topped his previous high from January, when 68 percent of New Yorkers held a favorable view of their new mayor. His numbers dipped to 56 percent in March before rebounding this month, even as Mamdani has consistently polled above his recent predecessors.

Mamdani has brought the strong communication skills and political instincts he displayed on the campaign trail to City Hall, helping him retain public support as he navigates the challenges of governing. But the first seven months of Mamdani’s mayoralty have not been without hiccups. 

He now faces legal roadblocks to one of his most significant policy priorities — a pied-à-terre tax that has allowed the democratic socialist mayor to tout his push to tax the rich by targeting those who own second homes above a certain value.

And he continues to navigate tensions over Israel and antisemitism as the first Muslim mayor of the city with the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, even as resentment toward Israel continues to grow among parts of his political base.

“He still excels at retail politics, which has been a great strength that can assuage voters’ concerns about areas where he’s still trying to find his footing. But his relationship with Jewish voters still needs repair before it becomes a hallmark of his mayoralty,” political analyst Basil Smikle, a former executive director of the New York Democratic Party, told The Hill.

Last week, three New Yorkers sued the city over the rollout, taking aim at its distribution of a list with the information of thousands of residents who could be subject to the new tax and letters informing them they might have to pay it.

A Staten Island judge on Aug. 10 halted the rollout, but the city successfully appealed the temporary restraining order Thursday, allowing the city to proceed with the tax plan as the legal process........

© The Hill