Memo: New Polling Shows Zeldin Approval Collapse

WHAT: Just three years after nearly upsetting the odds in New York’s 2022 governor’s race, Lee Zeldin’s standing with New Yorkers has collapsed as his record as EPA Administrator comes under scrutiny. In 2022, Zeldin branded himself a pragmatic Republican—even joining the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus—capturing just under 47% of the vote. At the close of that race, 43% of New Yorkers viewed him favorably. New polling reveals that today, that number has fallen to just 29%, while 40% view him unfavorably.

WHY: Zeldin’s actions at EPA are fueling this decline. Only 31% of voters approve of the job he is doing, and his policy choices are deeply unpopular:

• Only 23% support reversing mercury pollution limits (52% oppose).
• Only 28% support abolishing the EPA’s Office of Research and Development (56% oppose).
• Only 31% support overturning the scientific finding that greenhouse gases endanger public health (54% oppose).
• Only 31% support his proposal to weaken 31 major environmental and health protections (52% oppose).

After hearing the details of his work at EPA so far, the percentage of those holding an unfavorable view of Zeldin rises even higher—from 40% to 47%.

 WHO: The polling was conducted by Public Policy Polling on behalf of the Environmental Defense Fund.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:

“Lee Zeldin’s actions as EPA Administrator appear to have driven his favorability ratings in New York to an all-time low,” said Jim Williams, polling analyst at Public Policy Polling. “Even in his home base of Long Island, his initial personal favorability rating is under water (44% favorable, 48% unfavorable) and only gets worse once respondents hear more about what he has done at the EPA (39% favorable, 47% unfavorable).”

“New Yorkers clearly don’t like what they’re seeing from Lee Zeldin,” said Joanna Slaney, Vice President for Political and Government Affairs at Environmental Defense Fund. “He looks to be putting his own ambition ahead of their everyday needs, like clean air and safe drinking water. He’s stripping away protections from harmful pollutants while offering passes to coal plants and chemical makers to release even more. And he’s gloating about ‘driving a dagger’ through efforts to reduce the pollution that’s contributing to worsening heat, flooding and wildfires. His actions are not only putting children and the communities where they grow up in danger. They’re badly damaging his own image at home.”

This memo was released on August 21, 2025. To learn more about this polling or for an interview with one of the experts on this polling, contact Austin Matheny-Kawesch (858-395-5577, amatheny@edf.org).