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Voters Say De Blasio's Wife Should Have Little Influence on Policy

By Jeff Mays | November 19, 2014 3:00pm
 Mayor Bill de Blasio, First Lady Chirlane McCray, Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña and Queens Borough President Melinda Katz visit Home Sweet Home Children's School in Queens during the first-day-of-school five-borough tour on Thursday, September 4, 2014.
Mayor Bill de Blasio, First Lady Chirlane McCray, Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña and Queens Borough President Melinda Katz visit Home Sweet Home Children's School in Queens during the first-day-of-school five-borough tour on Thursday, September 4, 2014.
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Rob Bennett/Mayoral Photography Office.

MANHATTAN—Mayor Bill de Blasio has called his wife, First Lady Chirlane McCray, his "most important adviser" and even gave her a chief of staff who made $170,000.

But a poll of New York City voters found that 71 percent feel that de Blasio's wife should have a minor role at most in shaping policy for the city.

"Mayor Bill de Blasio is making his job a family affair and voters aren't enthusiastic," said Quinnipiac University poll Assistant Director Maurice Carroll. "Most New Yorker's think the mayor's spouse should have a minor role in government—or none at all."

Only 24 percent of New York City voters and 26 percent of women say the mayor's spouse should have a "major role" in policy. Only 20 percent of men agree.

The opinion about the first lady's level of involvement is low even among de Blasio's strongest supporters — blacks and Hispanics.

Only 31 percent of blacks and 35 percent of Latinos say the mayor's spouse should play a major role in shaping public policy compared to 64 percent of black voters and 58 percent of Latinos who say she should have a minor role or no role at all.

"And voters don't think the mayor's spouse needs a chief of staff," Carroll added.

The mayor has been clear since the start of his term about the role his wife would play in his administration. De Blasio called McCray the "most important voice in my life" just days after he was elected mayor. And he often refers to McCray as his "most important adviser."

Her influence in the administration is clear. McCray has a Tumblr blog and her Twitter hashtag is #FLONYC.

"The best part about being First Lady is that I can now do a lot more to help those who are helping others," she wrote on a recent blog post.

McCray is believed to be the only first lady to attend an NYPD CompStat meeting at which top brass talk crime reduction strategy with precinct commanders.

She was also at de Blasio's side when he held a meeting at Cardinal Timothy Dolan's residence in the wake of a planned protest about the death of Staten Island man Eric Garner.

It was McCray's chief of staff Rachel Noerdlinger, a former aide to Sharpton, who helped plan the administration's response to the Garner case. De Blasio has also credited his wife in being instrumental in one of his early policy successes, implementing universal pre-K.

More recently, de Blasio stood in strong support of Noerdlinger as embarrassing revelations about her life were unveiled in the media.

Noerdlinger finally announced Monday that she was taking an indefinite leave of absence, but de Blasio criticized the media coverage of her troubles saying they had crossed a line and comparing it to McCarthyism.

De Blasio has also strongly criticized some media outlets for stories about his wife. When McCray described how difficult it was being a new parent in a New York Magazine cover story, the New York Post ran a story calling McCray a "bad mom."

"I think they owe all of us an apology," de Blasio said in questioning coverage of the interview in some media outlets.

Political consultant Basil Smikle said voters may be uncomfortable with McCray's role at City Hall because they don't know exactly how she influences the mayor.

"The voters were able to meet de Blasio and go through his record. Chirlane is unknown. The mayor has been vetted," said Smikle. "She hasn't been vetted. The voters don't know her."

The mayor's office did not respond to a request for comment.