5/21/2019
By Ivan Pereira
Mayor Bill de Blasio is drowning in the pool of Democratic candidates for president, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll released Tuesday.
Only 8 percent of those surveyed reported a favorable opinion of de Blasio, while 45 percent reported an unfavorable rating.
The Quinnipiac survey — the first conducted since de Blasio officially became the 23rd 2020 Democratic presidential candidate — found that about 48 percent of respondents haven’t heard enough about him to make a decision, and none said he would be their choice for the Democratic ticket.
Tim Malloy, the assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll, noted that the mayor’s campaign is still in the infant stages, so it is natural the numbers would be so low.
“Bill de Blasio is a well-known name in New York and in the region, but around the country not too many people know who he is,” Malloy said.
The university polled 1,078 people across the country between May 16, the day the mayor officially announced his run, and May 20. About 454 of the polled respondents identified as Democrats or Democratic-leaning. The margin of error is +/- 3.7 percentage points.
In addition to de Blasio, eleven other Democratic candidates, including Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, received zero percentage points from respondents’ votes for their primary choice.
Former Vice President Joe Biden led the field with a 49 percent favorability rating; 35 percent of respondents said they would vote for him in the primary, according to the poll.
Representatives from de Blasio’s campaign did not immediately return messages for comment.
Malloy added that despite his low numbers, de Blasio does have an advantage over some candidates, including Colorado Sen. Michael Bennett and Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, who entered the race with far less recognition.
“[De Blasio] is a national name, being the mayor of New York,” he said. “He’s not registering a lot, but he’s there.”
