By Steven Shepard
A majority of voters in the District of Columbia disapprove of the job that Mayor Vincent Gray is doing, and more voters prefer Gray's two most recent predecessors, according to a new poll released early Thursday.
According to the poll, conducted by Clarus Research Group, 53 percent of District voters disapprove of the job that Gray is doing as mayor, while only 34 percent of voters approve of his job performance. Among registered Democrats -- who dominate the District elections -- his approval rating stands at 39 percent.
In March, just three months into his tenure as mayor, 31 percent of voters approved of Gray's job performance, and 40 percent disapproved.
There is a vast racial divide in District voters' perception of Gray's mayoralty. Among African-American voters, 48 percent approve of Gray's job performance, and 37 percent disapprove. But white voters disapprove of Gray's handling of his job by a wide margin: Only 16 percent of white voters approve of Gray, while an overwhelming majority, 77 percent, disapprove.
"The mayor has never defined his mayoralty," said Clarus Research Group President Ron Faucheux. "News stories about cronyism and criminal investigations have framed his first year in office. His ratings, and those of the Council, are suffering from a cloud of uneasiness that hangs over city politics."
Voters are experiencing buyer's remorse, according to the poll. Gray defeated then-Mayor Adrian Fenty in 2010, but in a potential rematch, Fenty would lead Gray, 51 percent to 30 percent, according to the poll.
Fenty has denied any interest in District politics following his defeat.
Gray would also trail former Mayor Anthony Williams, who left office in early 2007, by a significant margin, according to the poll. Williams leads Gray, 48 percent to 31 percent.
District voters have also soured on Gray's replacement as chairman of the D.C. City Council, Kwame Brown, who has faced questions about extravagant city vehicles leased on his behalf. Only 23 percent of voters approve of Brown's job performance, compared to 57 percent who disapprove.
The Clarus Research Group poll was conducted Dec. 19-21, surveying 500 registered voters. The margin of error is +/- 4.4 percent.
Source: http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2011/12/poll-majority-o-1.php
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