Efforts to Recruit Another Adams for NYC Mayor Emerge in Bid to Counter Andrew Cuomo
Key figures, including Attorney General Letitia James, believe that the New York City Council speaker has the potential to hinder a Cuomo victory.
TroibNews 
**NEW YORK** — City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams seemed poised for a quiet retirement, but now some of New York’s major political figures are encouraging her to run for mayor in a concerted effort to counter former Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Her potential late entry into the race to unseat the indicted Eric Adams highlights a growing frustration among New Yorkers regarding their options.
The movement to recruit the 64-year-old council speaker, who is a Black woman from Queens and not related to Mayor Eric Adams, is gaining momentum. According to nine sources familiar with the outreach, Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat known for her confrontations with Cuomo, is among those making calls to promote Adams’ possible candidacy. Both James and Adrienne Adams declined to comment.
Support for the initiative also comes from leaders of District Council 37, New York's largest municipal union, as indicated by three anonymous sources. Union president Henry Garrido stated only that the organization would go through its usual candidate endorsement process.
Eric Adams faces a daunting path to re-election. Recently cleared of criminal charges by Donald Trump's administration in what prosecutors termed a quid pro quo to aid deportations, Adams has seen four deputy mayors resign, his polling numbers are low, and he has been denied public matching funds.
Cuomo, who resigned in 2021 amid sexual misconduct allegations that he denies, is leading in the polls ahead of an expected entry into the race in the coming weeks. With a campaign war chest of $7.7 million to support a PAC under an ally's control, he is the most recognizable name in the running. Yet, recent polling shows he has both high positive and negative sentiments among voters. He has become the focus of attacks from other candidates, and many Democratic leaders express concern over the prospect of dealing with his confrontational governance style.
The scenario raises concerns for Black voters and leaders regarding the possibility that the city’s second Black mayor could end up as a one-term leader. This potential recruitment effort, however unlikely, is emerging in this context.
“When it came to the presidential race, Black women, we did our job. We’ve got the receipts,” said Lupe Todd-Medina, a Democratic consultant uninvolved in the mayoral race. “Unfortunately, we didn’t see the result that we wanted to see. But because of that, there's this energy that we have leftover from that campaign. And that is what we’re using now, moving into the city elections.”
Cuomo's camp reportedly feels confident in its ability to compete against Eric Adams, even though there is overlapping support among Black, orthodox Jewish, and moderate Democrats. Should Adrienne Adams enter the race, her ties to Southeast Queens—a middle-class predominately Black area known for high voter turnout—would further divide this base.
Rich Azzopardi, a spokesperson for Cuomo, declined to comment.
Adrienne Adams has had a contentious relationship with the currently serving mayor over various policy issues. Term-limited at the end of the year, she had previously expressed a firm disinterest in pursuing higher office. However, recent discussions have led her to reconsider that stance.
“When I say people are begging, I mean begging,” remarked one Democratic operative close to the speaker. “If she does this, it’ll be 1000 percent because she’s been drafted.”
Following reports from PMG and the New York Post about the movement to draft her, Adams reached out to key political figures to assess her potential candidacy, according to two individuals familiar with the conversations. “It’s like ‘what are you thinking? What’s needed in a candidate?’” said one. “And leaving the opportunity open to her interest.”
“She’s seriously considering,” affirmed the other source.
Should she decide to pursue a campaign just four months before the June Democratic primary, Adrienne Adams would face significant challenges. She currently lacks a campaign infrastructure and has just over $200,000 in her account, while other candidates have millions. Having never launched a citywide campaign, her name recognition outside political circles is low. An October Slingshot Strategies poll revealed that 58 percent of registered New York City voters hadn’t heard of her or had no opinion about her. Among those who did recognize her, opinions were divided: 22 percent viewed her favorably, while 20 percent regarded her unfavorably.
Leading 50 other council members is no small feat; the role is often associated with endless compromises and controversies. Many believe in the “curse of the speaker,” as all five previous holders of the position lost citywide elections. Christine Quinn, once a frontrunner in the 2013 mayoral race, is among those who faced this challenge.
“The battlefield of past mayoral elections is littered with the dead carcasses of failed speaker candidates,” noted another Democratic consultant, speaking anonymously. “There’s no indication that Adrienne Adams would have any different fate.”
The push to draft Adrienne Adams reflects the ongoing efforts by political operatives—including labor and business leaders—to draw new candidates into the race. Notably, Letitia James was previously the subject of a drafting campaign after Adams was indicted, but she opted against running, as did Jennifer Jones Austin, an ally of Rev. Al Sharpton. Representative Dan Goldman also faced recruitment to run but chose to endorse state Senator Zellnor Myrie instead.
Myrie stands as the top Black candidate besides Eric Adams, yet some potential supporters of Adrienne Adams are seeking an alternative due to his progressive record and relatively low visibility.
“I just think a lot of people are like ‘who?’” said a consultant close to Adrienne Adams. “It’s like, ‘where’s the thing? This is the Eric Adams alternative?’”
Myrie’s campaign declined to provide a comment.
Similarly, state Senator Jessica Ramos, the leading woman in the race, has faced difficulties in fundraising, leaving her with a narrow path toward victory.
The ongoing bid to rally support for Adrienne Adams mirrors her own experience in the City Council speaker race in 2021, where she maintained a low-key campaign while others campaigned vigorously. At that time, insiders were doubtful of her chances until key political figures rallied behind her as a compromise choice.
Adams has been cautious in her public remarks but has recently been critical of the mayor. She called him out for skipping Martin Luther King Jr. Day events to attend Trump’s inauguration and suggested on Monday that he should resign.
While accepting an award at a recent gathering of lawmakers of color, she denounced the “craziness” occurring within City Hall and vowed never to lead with “corruption,” “misrepresentation,” or “embarrassment”—a clear jab at the mayor, whom she again urged to resign.
Audience members, including James and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, responded with chants of “Run, Adrienne, Run!”
Adams laughed off the calls, telling her supporters to settle down but left the door open for her potential candidacy.
“I love you all for that. I love you all for your faith. We’re going to continue to do what it is that God has us to do,” she said. “Whatever that may be. Never say never, brothers and sisters.”
A version of this story first appeared in Wednesday’s New York Playbook. Subscribe here.
Frederick R Cook contributed to this report for TROIB News
Her potential late entry into the race to unseat the indicted Eric Adams highlights a growing frustration among New Yorkers regarding their options.
The movement to recruit the 64-year-old council speaker, who is a Black woman from Queens and not related to Mayor Eric Adams, is gaining momentum. According to nine sources familiar with the outreach, Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat known for her confrontations with Cuomo, is among those making calls to promote Adams’ possible candidacy. Both James and Adrienne Adams declined to comment.
Support for the initiative also comes from leaders of District Council 37, New York's largest municipal union, as indicated by three anonymous sources. Union president Henry Garrido stated only that the organization would go through its usual candidate endorsement process.
Eric Adams faces a daunting path to re-election. Recently cleared of criminal charges by Donald Trump's administration in what prosecutors termed a quid pro quo to aid deportations, Adams has seen four deputy mayors resign, his polling numbers are low, and he has been denied public matching funds.
Cuomo, who resigned in 2021 amid sexual misconduct allegations that he denies, is leading in the polls ahead of an expected entry into the race in the coming weeks. With a campaign war chest of $7.7 million to support a PAC under an ally's control, he is the most recognizable name in the running. Yet, recent polling shows he has both high positive and negative sentiments among voters. He has become the focus of attacks from other candidates, and many Democratic leaders express concern over the prospect of dealing with his confrontational governance style.
The scenario raises concerns for Black voters and leaders regarding the possibility that the city’s second Black mayor could end up as a one-term leader. This potential recruitment effort, however unlikely, is emerging in this context.
“When it came to the presidential race, Black women, we did our job. We’ve got the receipts,” said Lupe Todd-Medina, a Democratic consultant uninvolved in the mayoral race. “Unfortunately, we didn’t see the result that we wanted to see. But because of that, there's this energy that we have leftover from that campaign. And that is what we’re using now, moving into the city elections.”
Cuomo's camp reportedly feels confident in its ability to compete against Eric Adams, even though there is overlapping support among Black, orthodox Jewish, and moderate Democrats. Should Adrienne Adams enter the race, her ties to Southeast Queens—a middle-class predominately Black area known for high voter turnout—would further divide this base.
Rich Azzopardi, a spokesperson for Cuomo, declined to comment.
Adrienne Adams has had a contentious relationship with the currently serving mayor over various policy issues. Term-limited at the end of the year, she had previously expressed a firm disinterest in pursuing higher office. However, recent discussions have led her to reconsider that stance.
“When I say people are begging, I mean begging,” remarked one Democratic operative close to the speaker. “If she does this, it’ll be 1000 percent because she’s been drafted.”
Following reports from PMG and the New York Post about the movement to draft her, Adams reached out to key political figures to assess her potential candidacy, according to two individuals familiar with the conversations. “It’s like ‘what are you thinking? What’s needed in a candidate?’” said one. “And leaving the opportunity open to her interest.”
“She’s seriously considering,” affirmed the other source.
Should she decide to pursue a campaign just four months before the June Democratic primary, Adrienne Adams would face significant challenges. She currently lacks a campaign infrastructure and has just over $200,000 in her account, while other candidates have millions. Having never launched a citywide campaign, her name recognition outside political circles is low. An October Slingshot Strategies poll revealed that 58 percent of registered New York City voters hadn’t heard of her or had no opinion about her. Among those who did recognize her, opinions were divided: 22 percent viewed her favorably, while 20 percent regarded her unfavorably.
Leading 50 other council members is no small feat; the role is often associated with endless compromises and controversies. Many believe in the “curse of the speaker,” as all five previous holders of the position lost citywide elections. Christine Quinn, once a frontrunner in the 2013 mayoral race, is among those who faced this challenge.
“The battlefield of past mayoral elections is littered with the dead carcasses of failed speaker candidates,” noted another Democratic consultant, speaking anonymously. “There’s no indication that Adrienne Adams would have any different fate.”
The push to draft Adrienne Adams reflects the ongoing efforts by political operatives—including labor and business leaders—to draw new candidates into the race. Notably, Letitia James was previously the subject of a drafting campaign after Adams was indicted, but she opted against running, as did Jennifer Jones Austin, an ally of Rev. Al Sharpton. Representative Dan Goldman also faced recruitment to run but chose to endorse state Senator Zellnor Myrie instead.
Myrie stands as the top Black candidate besides Eric Adams, yet some potential supporters of Adrienne Adams are seeking an alternative due to his progressive record and relatively low visibility.
“I just think a lot of people are like ‘who?’” said a consultant close to Adrienne Adams. “It’s like, ‘where’s the thing? This is the Eric Adams alternative?’”
Myrie’s campaign declined to provide a comment.
Similarly, state Senator Jessica Ramos, the leading woman in the race, has faced difficulties in fundraising, leaving her with a narrow path toward victory.
The ongoing bid to rally support for Adrienne Adams mirrors her own experience in the City Council speaker race in 2021, where she maintained a low-key campaign while others campaigned vigorously. At that time, insiders were doubtful of her chances until key political figures rallied behind her as a compromise choice.
Adams has been cautious in her public remarks but has recently been critical of the mayor. She called him out for skipping Martin Luther King Jr. Day events to attend Trump’s inauguration and suggested on Monday that he should resign.
While accepting an award at a recent gathering of lawmakers of color, she denounced the “craziness” occurring within City Hall and vowed never to lead with “corruption,” “misrepresentation,” or “embarrassment”—a clear jab at the mayor, whom she again urged to resign.
Audience members, including James and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, responded with chants of “Run, Adrienne, Run!”
Adams laughed off the calls, telling her supporters to settle down but left the door open for her potential candidacy.
“I love you all for that. I love you all for your faith. We’re going to continue to do what it is that God has us to do,” she said. “Whatever that may be. Never say never, brothers and sisters.”
A version of this story first appeared in Wednesday’s New York Playbook. Subscribe here.
Frederick R Cook contributed to this report for TROIB News
