Support for Bill de Blasio's efforts as New York City mayor continues to decline as the gap between how black and whites view him further widens, according to a new
Quinnipiac University poll.
The survey, released Thursday, found 47 percent of New York City voters approve of de Blasio's overall handling of his job, while 38 percent disapprove, which represents a two-point decline from a Nov. 18 poll.
Less than three months ago, 50 percent approved of the mayor’s approach and 32 percent disapproved.
Asked about how the mayor is managing relations between the police and the community, 56 percent voiced disapproval, compared with only 36 percent who support how he has governed the city in the wake of the Eric Garner case.
The low approval ratings are not surprising considering relations between de Blasio and the police union have plummeted over what the police see as a lack of support following a Staten Island grand jury's decision not to recommend charges against the officer whose illegal chokehold resulted in Garner's death, reports
Capital New York.
In terms of his job handling relations between blacks and whites, 47 percent of voters approve, compared with 41 percent who are unhappy with his performance.
"Police-community relations is the issue that defined Mayor Bill de Blasio's election bid, and seems to be-devil his first year in office," Maurice Carroll, Quinnipiac University Poll assistant director, said in a press release.
"Black voters are slightly positive on how he's handling the issue, while white and Hispanic voters give him a big thumbs down."
The racial divide was also present in a poll released last week by The New York Times and Siena College, which found 75 percent of blacks approved of de Blasio's performance, compared with 32 percent of whites who agreed, according to
The New York Times.
The silver lining for the mayor is that voters view him more favorably than the Rev. Al Sharpton, who received a negative 35 percent to 48 percent favorability rating, which is a decline from the 40 percent who approved of him in a Nov. 18 survey.
Support for Sharpton breaks down along racial lines, with 63 percent of black voters approving of him, compared to 19 percent of white voters.
Hispanic voters were almost equally divided, with 36 percent approving of the civil rights activist and MSNBC host, versus 37 percent who disapprove.
Voters were also divided over the question of whether Sharpton is a "mostly positive force in New York City," with 44 percent of voters saying he is positive and 45 percent asserting he is mostly negative.
Asked whether Sharpton has too much influence with de Blasio, 33 percent answered yes, which is a 1-point increase from November and a 3-point increase from August.
Thirty-four percent felt his influence was "about right."
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