Leading Democrat Announces Last-Minute Candidacy for New York City Mayor
City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams is gearing up for the Democratic primary, which is just under four months away from election day.
TroibNews 
NEW YORK — Adrienne Adams, the Speaker of the New York City Council, is entering the race for mayor, launching a late bid in the Democratic primary aimed at unseating indicted Mayor Eric Adams.
Her decision could significantly alter the dynamics of the race, as her traditional support base intersects with that of both the current mayor and former Governor Andrew Cuomo, both of whom are embroiled in scandals.
“New Yorkers can't afford to live here, City Hall is in chaos, and Donald Trump is corrupting our city's independence. It’s time to stand up,” Speaker Adams stated.
“I never planned to run for Mayor, but I’m not giving up on New York City,” she continued. “Our city deserves a leader that serves its people first and always, not someone focused on themselves and their own political interests. I’m a public servant, mother, Queens girl and I’m running for Mayor. No drama, no nonsense—just my commitment to leading with competence and integrity.”
According to sources familiar with her plans, she is set to begin petitioning for ballot access immediately. Additionally, she has scheduled a campaign rally for Saturday in her home borough of Queens.
This will be her first venture into a citywide race, and the relatively low-profile legislative leader will need to quickly ramp up fundraising efforts and assemble a campaign team, with the Democratic primary just under four months away on June 24. Adams faces challenges including low name recognition and limited time to qualify for the city’s public matching funds program, which is crucial for mayoral candidates.
Previously, Speaker Adams endorsed Eric Adams during the 2021 mayoral race; however, their relationship has soured over time. They have clashed on issues including police reform and housing policy, and she recently criticized the mayor for attending Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration instead of local events honoring Martin Luther King Jr.
Her announcement follows a week after other candidates began the petitioning process and highlights growing concerns among some factions of New York’s Democratic establishment regarding viable candidates for the primary.
Currently, Cuomo has emerged as the frontrunner, garnering 31 percent of support from registered Democratic voters in a recent Quinnipiac Poll, compared to Speaker Adams’ 4 percent. Notably, the poll did not consider ranked-choice voting, which could potentially change the election results.
While Speaker Adams has only secured election victories within her council district and had not previously considered a run for higher office, pressure from figures like Attorney General Letitia James and leaders of District Council 37, the city’s largest public workers union, has swayed her to enter the primary.
Deputy Council Speaker Diana Ayala commended Adams for breaking the mold of typical politicians. “We need to stop recycling the same type of politician,” she remarked. “There’s just too much at stake right now to play politics. We need somebody that’s actually going to focus on leading and not on the publicity.”
Speaker Adams participated in a candidate screening forum with the influential union 32BJ SEIU on Saturday and has largely refrained from criticizing Cuomo.
During a recent annual speech, she expressed her frustrations with current leadership, stating, “New York City is bigger than one person, and our city deserves leadership that prioritizes its people over individual glory or interests.”
“We need solutions more than slogans,” she added. “Service rather than saviors and partnership over patriarchy.”
Her entrance into the race reflects a broader dissatisfaction with Mayor Adams, who received only a 20 percent approval rating in the latest Quinnipiac poll. The mayor has faced backlash after the Trump administration moved to dismiss a federal corruption case against him in exchange for support on immigration enforcement.
While Cuomo is recognized as a leading contender, many political figures are wary of his return, given his history of controversies, including his resignation from the governorship in 2021 following multiple sexual misconduct allegations, which he has denied.
Other candidates have not yet gained traction, and recent polls suggest they may struggle to compete against Cuomo’s established popularity. There are concerns among political and labor leaders about the effectiveness of more left-leaning candidates in the race.
Speaker Adams, a 64-year-old former corporate trainer for Fortune 500 companies, comes from a vote-heavy area in southeast Queens, predominantly home to older Black Democrats. While she is well-known among business and political circles due to her leadership role, her overall name recognition does not compare to that of Cuomo or the current mayor. A grandmother and churchgoer, she is an alumna of Spelman College and actively involved in her Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, both significant in terms of fundraising potential. Her candidacy may draw support from central Brooklyn and southeast Queens, areas that are key for Cuomo’s electoral strategy.
Historically, New York City voters have never elected a woman as mayor. The only other female candidate in the race, state Sen. Jessica Ramos, has struggled to gain financial backing.
As the presiding officer of the first female majority council in city history, a fact she frequently touts, Speaker Adams will need to swiftly bolster her campaign finances. As of her last filing, she had just $211,000 in her campaign account, while other contenders boast $3 to $4 million.
She will not be eligible for matching funds from the city’s public financing program until at least mid-April. As reported, if she doesn’t raise significant amounts of money soon, she risks accessing those funds only days before the primary.
Historically, council speakers have pursued the mayoral office, with Christine Quinn being an early frontrunner in 2013 before losing to Bill de Blasio. Her candidacy, along with those of her successors, illustrates the challenges faced by legislative leaders in seeking citywide office, as they must juggle the diverse interests of their fellow council members.
The New York Post has already criticized Adams, dubbing her as “in thrall to the antisemitic left” due to her consideration of a resolution urging a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, although she ultimately did not bring it to a vote.
Under her leadership, the council has opposed Mayor Adams’ budget cuts, rejected any rollback of sanctuary city policies, and joined a lawsuit against him for not implementing the council’s laws that expand access to housing rental vouchers.
Furthermore, she has overridden the mayor’s vetoes on legislation aimed at increasing oversight over police and correction officers and criticized him for acting like a “king” by pushing forward ballot proposals intended to enhance his authority in the legislative process.
While her specific platform for the mayoral campaign remains unclear, during her recent State of the City address, she indicated her commitment to rising above political labels. “Throughout my time in office, I’ve been labeled as a ‘moderate’ in people’s attempt to make sense of who I am,” she stated. “But my focus has always been public service, which has no political label.”
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
Her decision could significantly alter the dynamics of the race, as her traditional support base intersects with that of both the current mayor and former Governor Andrew Cuomo, both of whom are embroiled in scandals.
“New Yorkers can't afford to live here, City Hall is in chaos, and Donald Trump is corrupting our city's independence. It’s time to stand up,” Speaker Adams stated.
“I never planned to run for Mayor, but I’m not giving up on New York City,” she continued. “Our city deserves a leader that serves its people first and always, not someone focused on themselves and their own political interests. I’m a public servant, mother, Queens girl and I’m running for Mayor. No drama, no nonsense—just my commitment to leading with competence and integrity.”
According to sources familiar with her plans, she is set to begin petitioning for ballot access immediately. Additionally, she has scheduled a campaign rally for Saturday in her home borough of Queens.
This will be her first venture into a citywide race, and the relatively low-profile legislative leader will need to quickly ramp up fundraising efforts and assemble a campaign team, with the Democratic primary just under four months away on June 24. Adams faces challenges including low name recognition and limited time to qualify for the city’s public matching funds program, which is crucial for mayoral candidates.
Previously, Speaker Adams endorsed Eric Adams during the 2021 mayoral race; however, their relationship has soured over time. They have clashed on issues including police reform and housing policy, and she recently criticized the mayor for attending Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration instead of local events honoring Martin Luther King Jr.
Her announcement follows a week after other candidates began the petitioning process and highlights growing concerns among some factions of New York’s Democratic establishment regarding viable candidates for the primary.
Currently, Cuomo has emerged as the frontrunner, garnering 31 percent of support from registered Democratic voters in a recent Quinnipiac Poll, compared to Speaker Adams’ 4 percent. Notably, the poll did not consider ranked-choice voting, which could potentially change the election results.
While Speaker Adams has only secured election victories within her council district and had not previously considered a run for higher office, pressure from figures like Attorney General Letitia James and leaders of District Council 37, the city’s largest public workers union, has swayed her to enter the primary.
Deputy Council Speaker Diana Ayala commended Adams for breaking the mold of typical politicians. “We need to stop recycling the same type of politician,” she remarked. “There’s just too much at stake right now to play politics. We need somebody that’s actually going to focus on leading and not on the publicity.”
Speaker Adams participated in a candidate screening forum with the influential union 32BJ SEIU on Saturday and has largely refrained from criticizing Cuomo.
During a recent annual speech, she expressed her frustrations with current leadership, stating, “New York City is bigger than one person, and our city deserves leadership that prioritizes its people over individual glory or interests.”
“We need solutions more than slogans,” she added. “Service rather than saviors and partnership over patriarchy.”
Her entrance into the race reflects a broader dissatisfaction with Mayor Adams, who received only a 20 percent approval rating in the latest Quinnipiac poll. The mayor has faced backlash after the Trump administration moved to dismiss a federal corruption case against him in exchange for support on immigration enforcement.
While Cuomo is recognized as a leading contender, many political figures are wary of his return, given his history of controversies, including his resignation from the governorship in 2021 following multiple sexual misconduct allegations, which he has denied.
Other candidates have not yet gained traction, and recent polls suggest they may struggle to compete against Cuomo’s established popularity. There are concerns among political and labor leaders about the effectiveness of more left-leaning candidates in the race.
Speaker Adams, a 64-year-old former corporate trainer for Fortune 500 companies, comes from a vote-heavy area in southeast Queens, predominantly home to older Black Democrats. While she is well-known among business and political circles due to her leadership role, her overall name recognition does not compare to that of Cuomo or the current mayor. A grandmother and churchgoer, she is an alumna of Spelman College and actively involved in her Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, both significant in terms of fundraising potential. Her candidacy may draw support from central Brooklyn and southeast Queens, areas that are key for Cuomo’s electoral strategy.
Historically, New York City voters have never elected a woman as mayor. The only other female candidate in the race, state Sen. Jessica Ramos, has struggled to gain financial backing.
As the presiding officer of the first female majority council in city history, a fact she frequently touts, Speaker Adams will need to swiftly bolster her campaign finances. As of her last filing, she had just $211,000 in her campaign account, while other contenders boast $3 to $4 million.
She will not be eligible for matching funds from the city’s public financing program until at least mid-April. As reported, if she doesn’t raise significant amounts of money soon, she risks accessing those funds only days before the primary.
Historically, council speakers have pursued the mayoral office, with Christine Quinn being an early frontrunner in 2013 before losing to Bill de Blasio. Her candidacy, along with those of her successors, illustrates the challenges faced by legislative leaders in seeking citywide office, as they must juggle the diverse interests of their fellow council members.
The New York Post has already criticized Adams, dubbing her as “in thrall to the antisemitic left” due to her consideration of a resolution urging a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, although she ultimately did not bring it to a vote.
Under her leadership, the council has opposed Mayor Adams’ budget cuts, rejected any rollback of sanctuary city policies, and joined a lawsuit against him for not implementing the council’s laws that expand access to housing rental vouchers.
Furthermore, she has overridden the mayor’s vetoes on legislation aimed at increasing oversight over police and correction officers and criticized him for acting like a “king” by pushing forward ballot proposals intended to enhance his authority in the legislative process.
While her specific platform for the mayoral campaign remains unclear, during her recent State of the City address, she indicated her commitment to rising above political labels. “Throughout my time in office, I’ve been labeled as a ‘moderate’ in people’s attempt to make sense of who I am,” she stated. “But my focus has always been public service, which has no political label.”
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
