The issues: What matters most to New York voters

More than any other issue, the city’s Democratic voters say they want the next mayor to focus on the economy and job creation, while Republican voters say crime and safety needs to be a top priority for Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s successor, according to an amNewYork/News 12 poll.

Below is a breakdown of the issues New Yorkers felt most strongly about in the poll.

JOBS
20% of Democrats and 18% of Republicans said the economy should be the next mayor’s main focus. A mayor focused on jobs was the top choice for black respondents, Brooklynites, Queens residents, men and voters younger than 50. The city’s unemployment rate ticked up to 8.7%, from 7.7% in April, the low point in joblessness for 2013, according to the state Labor Department. Brooklyn and the Bronx have the highest unemployment rates in the state, at 9.6% and 11.9%, respectively.

PUBLIC EDUCATION
While 19% of Democrats said public education should be the top priority for the next mayor, it was the top concern for “very liberal” Democrats, those from labor union households and residents of the Bronx. Critics of Bloomberg’s control of the city’s education system have chafed at his push for charter schools, their co-location in public schools, closure of underperforming schools and how standardized testing is conducted. Recently, student test scores plummeted after more difficult testing standards were introduced to bolster critical thinking skills.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING
17% of Democrats — particularly “very liberal” voters, Latinos and Manhattan residents — said affordable housing should be the No. 1 priority. 8% of Republicans, meanwhile, said it’s the top issue. The city is in the midst of a housing crunch, with a 3.1% vacancy rate, according to an April Rent Guidelines Board report. The report also showed a 14.6% increase in the number of people staying in Department of Homeless Services shelters each night between 2011 and 2012.

CRIME AND SAFETY
Meanwhile, 22% of Republicans — the most coming from Manhattan (27%) — want the next mayor to concentrate on crime and safety in the wake of a federal court ruling that found current stop-and-frisk practices to be unconstitutional, according to the poll.

9% of Democrats, meanwhile, said crime and safety should be the next mayor’s
top priority.