In a recent development, it has been revealed by sources to “New York Post” and Politico that Letitia James, the Attorney General of New York, is actively encouraging Adrienne Adams, the Speaker of the New York City Council, to run for Mayor of New York City. The apparent goal behind this push is to prevent former Governor Andrew Cuomo from making a comeback to politics and running for the mayoral position.
According to an anonymous source familiar with the situation, discussions have taken place with Letitia James regarding Adrienne Adams exploring the possibility of entering the mayoral race. The same source mentioned that the Democratic Party is seeking alternative candidates to Cuomo as none of the current contenders seem capable of defeating him.
Adrienne Adams’ name as a potential mayoral candidate started gaining serious consideration last weekend during the annual event organized by the New York State Assembly of Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislators (NYS ABPRHAL) held in Albany. It is reported that Letitia James had interactions with Adams during the event.
Further reports from the “New York Post” suggest that Letitia James has been privately reaching out to influential figures within the Democratic Party to gauge interest in Adams running for Mayor.
Adrienne Adams recently publicly called for the current Mayor, Eric Adams, to resign. She has led the City Council in taking stances on criminal justice issues that differ from those of the conservative faction, such as advocating for the controversial “How Many Stops Act,” despite opposition from the Mayor and the New York City Police Department (NYPD), which was eventually overturned after the City Hall’s veto. Additionally, she supports allowing legal residents to participate in municipal elections.
While Mayor Adams is currently facing a federal corruption investigation, he still plans to seek re-election. Regarding the potential candidacy of Adams, Letitia James has declined to comment, and Adrienne Adams has also refrained from making any public statements.
In the event of Mayor Adams resigning or being removed from office by the Governor, who would step in as acting Mayor? As per the New York City Charter, the Public Advocate for New York City would serve as the acting Mayor to oversee city affairs.
The current Public Advocate for New York City is Jumaane Williams. Previously serving as the City Council Member for Brooklyn’s 45th District from 2010 to 2019, Williams is considered a left-leaning Democratic politician who advocates for tenant and minority interests, supports defunding the police, opposes solitary confinement in prisons, and is against stop-and-frisk policies.
Sources within the Democratic Party mentioned by the Post indicate that if Adams considers running, she should have made her intentions known earlier, especially since some of her potential competitors have already secured millions of dollars in campaign financing. As per the election schedule, the collection of signatures for candidacy will begin on February 25th and must be submitted to the New York City Board of Elections by April 3rd.
A senior Democratic Party member from Queens stated to the Post that she has not heard of Adams’ intention to run for Mayor nor discussed the matter with her. However, during an interview with PIX11 in December last year, Adams mentioned that she would not rule out any possibilities.
Letitia James and Andrew Cuomo were former allies within the Democratic Party but turned into political adversaries in 2021. James led an investigation that exposed allegations of sexual harassment against Cuomo by several women, including female staffers in the state government, ultimately leading to his resignation from the Governor’s office. While Cuomo has consistently denied the allegations, he has not officially announced his candidacy for Mayor of New York City. However, he has garnered support from the Staten Island Democratic Party and the Village Reform Democratic Club of Greenwich Village.
Current candidates from within the Democratic Party who have declared their intention to run in the mayoral primary election include New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, former City Comptroller Scott Stringer, Brooklyn State Senator Zellnor Myrie, Queens State Senator Jessica Ramos, and Queens State Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani.
On the Republican side, Curtis Sliwa, the candidate for the 2021 New York City mayoral election and founder of the Guardian Angels organization, has signaled his intent to run again and seek the Republican nomination.
With the election heating up, the potential entry of Adrienne Adams into the race could significantly impact the political landscape of the New York City mayoral election.