The vast majority of voters are undecided in a newly drawn congressional district in New York City that has no incumbent and has already seen high-profile candidates throw their hats in the ring, according to a new PIX/Emerson College Polling/The Hill poll.
The poll shows that the race for the New York’s new 10th Congressional District remains completely up for grabs, with a whopping 77 percent of very likely Democratic voters saying they’re undecided.
Nearly 7 percent of Democratic voters are backing Rep. Mondaire Jones (D), who is moving from a Westchester County-based district; 6 percent support former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio; and 5 percent support New York State Assembly Member Yuh-Line Niou. No candidate earns double-digit support in the survey.
The uncertainty is expected to fuel a nasty primary before voters choose a nominee on Aug. 23, a battle sparked after state courts tossed Democratic-drawn maps for one crafted by a special master that rejiggered several races.
The 10th Congressional District was previously represented by Rep. Jerry Nadler (D), who is now running in the 12th Congressional District after the redrawing to face off against Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D). The district when from including the Upper West Side and parts of Brooklyn to now containing all of lower Manhattan and a wider section of Brooklyn.
Jones, who is Black and gay, announced over the weekend that he would run in the newly drawn district, departing from his more suburban district to avoid a clash with Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D), noting the district’s ties to the Stonewall Inn, the birthplace of the gay rights movement.
“New York’s 10th District is the birthplace of the LGBTQ+ rights movement. Since long before the Stonewall Uprising, queer people of color have sought refuge within its borders. I was proud to be elected as one of the first openly gay, Black members of Congress and I’m excited to make my case for why I’m the right person to lead this district forward and to continue my work in Congress to save our democracy from the threats of the far right,” he said.
However, over 87 percent of Democratic voters said it is “very” or “somewhat” important that a candidate for U.S. House lives in the district for which they are running.
De Blasio, meanwhile, is boasting that he understands the districts residents after his eight years as mayor.
However, his approval rating from his tenure sits at just 21 percent in the poll, with 64 percent saying they disapprove of the job he did while in office.
The WPIX/Emerson College Polling/The Hill poll surveyed 500 very likely Democratic voters from May 24-25 and has a margin of error of 4.3 percentage points.