Eric Adams: The Democrat Who Didn't Become the Standard Bearer
The New York City mayor, who was previously poised to become a prominent national figure within the Democratic Party, was significantly absent from the political scene on Tuesday evening.
TroibNews 
NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Eric Adams once appeared poised for a prominent political career, the kind of surrogate Democrats might rally around to strengthen their electoral coalition in a crucial election year. Yet, on Tuesday night, he was conspicuously absent from the flurry of Empire State watch parties and last-minute get-out-the-vote efforts, his standing diminished due to a conflict with the White House and a federal indictment.
“Right now, it’s better not to have him,” Basil Smikle Jr., the former head of the state Democratic Party, remarked in an interview. “The question for other campaigns is: Can you win over his supporters without him? And the answer is yes.”
New York Democrats possess a strong lineup of prominent figures beyond Adams, including Reps. Hakeem Jeffries, Gregory Meeks, and Ritchie Torres—all of whom have connections with the middle-class Black and Latino voters that Adams has effectively engaged. Their prominence, coupled with Adams' challenges, has left the outspoken mayor sidelined during one of the most significant nights in political history.
Adams’ campaign press team did not disclose his whereabouts or activities for Tuesday night.
This scenario was unforeseen.
In 2021, Adams triumphed in a contentious Democratic primary with a platform focused on crime, an issue that has troubled many of his counterparts.
“He was a national Black Democratic leader who had law enforcement bona fides and could talk credibly about the issues,” said New York Democratic strategist Trip Yang in an interview. “He 100 percent had the potential to be a real rising star nationally.”
No one appeared more convinced of this than Adams himself.
After overcoming several candidates to his left, the former NYPD captain not only proclaimed himself the new face of the Democratic Party but also asserted that his victory was a shift away from the party’s left wing toward a more moderate approach.
“Look at me and you’re seeing the future of the Democratic Party,” Adams declared two days post-primary. “If the Democratic Party fails to recognize what we did here in New York, they’re going to have a problem in the midterm elections and they’re going to have a problem in the presidential election.”
Strengthening his assertions, President Joe Biden visited New York just over a month after Adams took office to meet with NYPD headquarters and discuss gun violence prevention.
“I’m the Biden of Brooklyn. And I love the fact that the president is coming here,” Adams said at that time. “I’m sure if you were to ask him [who] is his favorite mayor, he would clearly tell you, ‘It’s Eric.’”
However, the initial harmony was short-lived. Soon after their joint appearance, an influx of migrants from the southern border began arriving in New York City, stretching the city's legal obligation to provide shelter and pushing the social safety net to its limits. The financial burden ballooned into billions over the next year, causing Adams to grow increasingly frustrated with federal policymakers and the Biden administration—a frustration that culminated in his April 2023 assertion that the president and the White House had let New York City down.
This marked the beginning of his decline from prominence.
A month later, Adams was removed from a list of Biden campaign surrogates as tensions with the White House escalated. In November, federal agents conducted a series of raids seeking evidence of corruption involving Adams and the Turkish government, which included stops at the homes of City Hall and campaign staffers. Agents even stopped Adams on the street to seize his phone.
Since then, a steady stream of revelations regarding various corruption investigations targeting the Adams administration, along with an indictment of the mayor himself that was unsealed last month, has severely damaged Adams’ polling numbers and threatened his prospects for reelection.
With former President Donald Trump at the helm of the ticket and facing federal charges, Democratic Party leaders may be reluctant to defend one of their own, Smikle Jr. noted, although he mentioned that this perspective might shift if Adams is ultimately acquitted.
Given these circumstances, it’s no surprise Adams was absent on election night, despite his distinctive way of engaging with voters.
“Some people in this business talk like they are reading off press releases. [Adams] talks like someone in real life,” Yang, the Democratic strategist, said. “There was a lot of potential. Obviously, it’s no longer there.”
Mathilde Moreau for TROIB News
“Right now, it’s better not to have him,” Basil Smikle Jr., the former head of the state Democratic Party, remarked in an interview. “The question for other campaigns is: Can you win over his supporters without him? And the answer is yes.”
New York Democrats possess a strong lineup of prominent figures beyond Adams, including Reps. Hakeem Jeffries, Gregory Meeks, and Ritchie Torres—all of whom have connections with the middle-class Black and Latino voters that Adams has effectively engaged. Their prominence, coupled with Adams' challenges, has left the outspoken mayor sidelined during one of the most significant nights in political history.
Adams’ campaign press team did not disclose his whereabouts or activities for Tuesday night.
This scenario was unforeseen.
In 2021, Adams triumphed in a contentious Democratic primary with a platform focused on crime, an issue that has troubled many of his counterparts.
“He was a national Black Democratic leader who had law enforcement bona fides and could talk credibly about the issues,” said New York Democratic strategist Trip Yang in an interview. “He 100 percent had the potential to be a real rising star nationally.”
No one appeared more convinced of this than Adams himself.
After overcoming several candidates to his left, the former NYPD captain not only proclaimed himself the new face of the Democratic Party but also asserted that his victory was a shift away from the party’s left wing toward a more moderate approach.
“Look at me and you’re seeing the future of the Democratic Party,” Adams declared two days post-primary. “If the Democratic Party fails to recognize what we did here in New York, they’re going to have a problem in the midterm elections and they’re going to have a problem in the presidential election.”
Strengthening his assertions, President Joe Biden visited New York just over a month after Adams took office to meet with NYPD headquarters and discuss gun violence prevention.
“I’m the Biden of Brooklyn. And I love the fact that the president is coming here,” Adams said at that time. “I’m sure if you were to ask him [who] is his favorite mayor, he would clearly tell you, ‘It’s Eric.’”
However, the initial harmony was short-lived. Soon after their joint appearance, an influx of migrants from the southern border began arriving in New York City, stretching the city's legal obligation to provide shelter and pushing the social safety net to its limits. The financial burden ballooned into billions over the next year, causing Adams to grow increasingly frustrated with federal policymakers and the Biden administration—a frustration that culminated in his April 2023 assertion that the president and the White House had let New York City down.
This marked the beginning of his decline from prominence.
A month later, Adams was removed from a list of Biden campaign surrogates as tensions with the White House escalated. In November, federal agents conducted a series of raids seeking evidence of corruption involving Adams and the Turkish government, which included stops at the homes of City Hall and campaign staffers. Agents even stopped Adams on the street to seize his phone.
Since then, a steady stream of revelations regarding various corruption investigations targeting the Adams administration, along with an indictment of the mayor himself that was unsealed last month, has severely damaged Adams’ polling numbers and threatened his prospects for reelection.
With former President Donald Trump at the helm of the ticket and facing federal charges, Democratic Party leaders may be reluctant to defend one of their own, Smikle Jr. noted, although he mentioned that this perspective might shift if Adams is ultimately acquitted.
Given these circumstances, it’s no surprise Adams was absent on election night, despite his distinctive way of engaging with voters.
“Some people in this business talk like they are reading off press releases. [Adams] talks like someone in real life,” Yang, the Democratic strategist, said. “There was a lot of potential. Obviously, it’s no longer there.”
Mathilde Moreau for TROIB News
