D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s approval rating fell below 50% for the first time in her nine years in office in a Washington Post poll, with the mayor getting low marks for her handling of the issues of homelessness and crime.
In 2017 and 2019, Bowser’s job approval was 67%. That fell to 58% in 2022, and now, only 46% of those polled said they approve of her overall job performance.
“I’ve always looked at polls for what they are: a snapshot, a report card, as such, in any point in time,” Bowser said in Anacostia, where she announced the opening of the District’s second public safety hub Monday.
She received a 76% poor approval rating for handling crime and 72% poor rating for homelessness.
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“We always work hard, regardless of what polls say, to deliver for the people of the District of Columbia,” Bowser said.
“This is what I say to my team every day: People will feel better about crime when crime is better,” she said.
As Bowser celebrated the opening of the new safe commercial corridors hub in Anacostia, she highlighted how crime has gone down since opening the first safety hub in Chinatown.
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“We learned some lessons from the Chinatown hub, because there we’ve seen a 15% drop in crime since we opened the hub, including a 78% drop in violent crime,” Bowser said. “We’ve also connected more than 200 people to DHS and the Department of Behavioral Health through walk-ins.”
There was some good news in the poll for Bowser. After convincing Monumental Sports & Entertainment to keep the Washington Capitals and Wizards in D.C., 55% of those polled said she’s doing a good job when it comes to improving downtown.
The poll also found the mayor’s approval ratings well below 50% on public schools and affordable housing.
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