Exclusive | 75% of Dems believe NYC is in crisis and nearly half are ready to leave if things get worse: new poll

Likely Dem primary voters in the upcoming mayoral election overwhelmingly say New York City is in crisis — with nearly half saying that if things get any worse, they may leave, a dismal new survey shows.The pessimism is broad and deep.Eighty percent of the respondents say they are worried about the current level of crime, while 75% believe their city is in a state of crisis, and 70% are “fearful and anxious” about its future, according to the poll by Democratic strategists with the Honan Strategy Group.Nearly half, or 45%, of respondents say that if things get any worse, they “may be forced to move out” of Gotham.Nearly half of the polled Democrats say crime/violence and quality-of-life issues — 23% and 22% respectively — were top concerns, followed by worries about housing costs at 19%.“Overall, we found the electorate very much on edge,” said pollster Bradley Honan, whose previous clients include former Mayor Mike Bloomberg, Hillary Clinton, the Democratic National Committee and the Teach Coalition affiliated with the Jewish Orthodox Union.“Three-quarters of Democratic primary voters believe that New York City is heading onthe wrong track versus only 12% who believe the city is heading in the right direction,” he said.Honan said he’s only seen such sour numbers among New York voters twice over the past 25 years — after the Sept.11, 2001, terrorist attacks and during the once-in-a-century COVID-19 pandemic.“New Yorkers are fundamentally unhappy with where the city is today,” the pollster said.

“There’s a sense of fear and anxiety that runs deep.”That nearly half of Democratic primary voters would consider leaving if things get worse is “a shocking number,” Honan added.The Democratic voters’ feelings about the state of the city is more bad news for incumbent Democratic Mayor Eric Adams, who is broadly unpopular as he seeks re-election while fighting a criminal corruption indictment.The poll found that 85% of Democrats do no...