For years, Democratic leaders have presented themselves as the voice of working Americans. But if a new poll of New York City Democrats is any indication, many rank-and-file voters are no longer buying what their own party is selling.
A striking new survey from the Honan Strategy Group found widespread dissatisfaction among Democratic voters, with many expressing frustration over party leadership, its direction, and its ability to advocate effectively for ordinary Americans.
The numbers paint a picture of a party facing growing unrest from within.
According to the 5 Borough Barometer survey, fully half of Democratic voters said that electing a new generation of younger, more progressive leaders willing to challenge the party establishment should be a top priority in this year’s congressional primaries.
That finding alone represents a remarkable rebuke of current Democratic leadership. Even more troubling for party insiders is the broader decline in support among their own voters.
Only 63 percent of Democrats surveyed said they hold a favorable view of the Democratic Party. Meanwhile, 35 percent reported an unfavorable opinion. In other words, more than one out of every three Democratic voters now views their own party negatively.
“It’s startling. Democrats are flunking their party,” said Honan Strategy Group President and CEO Bradley Honan.
“Party members are unhappy with their leadership. The party’s voters are looking for change, and they are looking for it now.”
The poll suggests that frustration is creating an opening for Democratic Socialists of America candidates and other progressive challengers seeking to unseat incumbents.
Respondents were asked whether primary challenges against Democratic members of Congress, including Adriano Espaillat, Dan Goldman, Grace Meng, and Ritchie Torres, are healthy for the party or merely a distraction.
The results were not encouraging for incumbents. Forty-three percent said such challenges are healthy and strengthen the party. Just 13 percent viewed them as a divisive distraction. Another 37 percent said they were both.
That kind of sentiment is rarely comforting for officeholders seeking another term.
Perhaps the most damaging findings involved the party’s relationship with working-class voters.
Nearly eight in ten Democrats surveyed said the party is doing only a fair or poor job fighting for working people. Fifty-four percent rated the effort as merely fair, while 24 percent described it as poor. Only 22 percent gave the party a good or excellent rating.
The dissatisfaction extended to national politics as well.
When asked whether Democrats are effectively standing up to the Trump administration, 74 percent said the party is either not very effective or not effective at all. Just a small minority expressed confidence in the party’s performance.
“The verdict is consistent and citywide: New York City Democrats are not satisfied with where the Democratic Party stands, and they are ready for it to change,” Honan said.
The findings help explain why Democratic Socialists have gained traction in New York over the past several years. The movement has scored a series of high-profile victories, beginning with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s stunning defeat of longtime Congressman Joe Crowley in 2018. More recently, Zohran Mamdani’s rise to the mayor’s office demonstrated the growing influence of the party’s progressive wing.
“The DSA has been tapping into this frustration with the Democratic Party very effectively,” Honan said. “It’s going to be an interesting set of elections.”
Whether Democratic leaders take the warning seriously remains to be seen. What is clear from the poll is that many Democratic voters are no longer directing their frustration solely at Republicans. Increasingly, they appear dissatisfied with the people running their own party.
