President Joe Biden’s popularity is waning in the reliably Democratic state of New York, as revealed by a recent poll conducted by Siena College Research Institute. According to the survey released on Tuesday, Biden’s favorability rating in the state has dipped, with 45% of respondents viewing him favorably and 52% unfavorably. This marks a decline from September when his ratings stood at 50% favorable and 45% unfavorable.
The poll also highlighted a significant shift within the Democratic party, with 52% of Democrats expressing a desire for a different presidential candidate in 2024, compared to 54% who supported Biden as the nominee in September. While 70% of Democrats still view Biden favorably, the desire for an alternative candidate suggests a growing dissatisfaction among party members.
Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg noted, “While 70% of Democrats view Biden favorably, and 70% of Democrats approve of the job he’s doing, 52% of Democrats say they want a different presidential nominee in 2024.” He further revealed that in a hypothetical match against former President Donald Trump, Biden’s lead narrows significantly, with only a 46-37% advantage. This is a far cry from the 61-38% margin by which Biden won in 2020. The poll also indicated a potential challenge for Biden in the form of third-party candidates RFK and West, who collectively garner the support of nearly one in five voters, reducing Biden’s lead to just seven points.
In addition to concerns about Biden’s popularity, the poll highlighted widespread dissatisfaction with the Biden administration’s handling of issues within the state. Sixty-four percent of respondents, including 48% of Democrats, disapprove of how the administration is managing the migrant crisis, a key issue in New York. Furthermore, 59% of voters believe that crime in the state has worsened, and a staggering 84% consider the migrant crisis to be a serious problem, with 57% describing it as very serious.
The survey results come amid growing concerns about Biden’s age. A recent Associated Press/NORC poll revealed that 77% of Americans believe the 80-year-old president is incapable of effective governance due to his age. This sentiment is echoed among Democratic-leaning voters nationwide, with 67% expressing a preference for a different candidate in the 2024 election, according to a CNN poll.
The Siena College poll, conducted from October 15-19, surveyed 1,225 registered voters in New York State. The overall margin of error for the poll is +/- 3.4 percentage points.
Commenting on the poll findings, Greenberg highlighted the dissatisfaction with leaders addressing the migrant influx, stating, “Voters disapprove of the job Governor Kathy Hochul is doing to address the migrant influx by 15 points, but they disapprove of the job Adams is doing on the migrant issue by 16 points and they disapprove of the Biden Administration on this issue by a whopping 35 points, including a slight plurality of Democrats.”
