Outgoing New York City Mayor Eric Adams is leaving office with historically low approval ratings, according to a new poll released Tuesday that found widespread voter dissatisfaction with his four-year term.

The survey, conducted by the Honan Strategy Group, found that 69% of likely voters disapprove of Adams’ job performance, while just 31% approve. An even larger share—71%—described his leadership style as “chaotic” and “unfocused,” a sharp contrast to the mayor’s oft-repeated slogan, “Stay Focused, No Distraction and Grind!”

Perhaps most striking, 0% of respondents said they would remember Adams as one of the city’s best mayors. Among nearly 850 respondents surveyed between December 4 and December 12, 30% said Adams would be remembered as one of the worst modern mayors, while another 38% rated him as “below average.”

The poll was released just days before Adams’ term ends and ahead of the January 1 inauguration of Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.

Overall, 43% of respondents said Adams made New York City worse than he found it, while 41% said his tenure had no effect. Only 14% believed conditions in the city improved during his time in office.

The results reflect voter frustration after a term marked by repeated scandals and political turbulence. Sixty-three percent of respondents said Adams added to the sense of uncertainty facing the city as it emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Crime—long Adams’ signature issue—also received poor marks. Only 30% of respondents said they believe Adams made meaningful progress on public safety, while 59% said he failed. That assessment came despite notable declines in murders, shootings, and retail theft during his tenure, particularly after Jessica Tisch took over as police commissioner in 2022 following internal instability at the department.

Overall major crime, however, has not returned to pre-pandemic levels. According to the most recent data, crime in 2025 remains more than 20% higher than in 2019, a benchmark frequently cited by critics.

Adams’ first term was further overshadowed by federal corruption charges brought during the Biden administration. Those charges were later dropped by the Trump administration earlier this year. Amid the scandal, Adams skipped the Democratic primary, briefly ran as an independent, and ultimately exited the race altogether.

Despite the bleak polling, Adams has repeatedly defended his record. Last week, he told reporters, “I think history is going to be kind when we reflect on these four years of the relationship that we developed during some extremely difficult times.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)