By Jennifer Pelz and Anthony Izaguirre, Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Following a corruption charge, a contentious dismissal, and a decision to withdraw from the Democratic primary, New York Mayor Eric Adams hosted a kickoff event for his independent reelection candidacy on Thursday in an attempt to win over skeptics and win a second term.
Adams attempted to portray the young liberal as a product of privilege with no genuine political accomplishments or workable programs while he stood on the steps of City Hall, contrasting himself with Zohran Mamdani, the expected Democratic candidate.
“There is a choice between a blue-collar and a silver-plated candidate in this election,” Adams stated. an option between manicured and unclean fingernails.
Despite a sexual harassment incident that took him out of government four years ago, progressive upstart Mamdanide declared a shock Democratic primary victory over the presumptive favorite, former Governor Andrew Cuomo, two days ago.
The winner will face off against candidates like Republican Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels anti-crime group, in November’s election. The results will be finalized once the city’s ranked choice vote-counting commences on July 1.
Adams, 64, is a former police captain who went on to become the president of Brooklyn’s borough and a state senator. He portrays himself as an advocate for public safety, working-class New York, and a positive, self-assured mindset he refers to as swagger—the kind of drive that helped a housekeeper’s son become the second Black mayor of the country’s most populated city.
Mamdani, 33, is the son of a Columbia University anthropology professor and an award-winning filmmaker. Before being elected to the New York Assembly for the first time in 2020, he worked as a foreclosure prevention counselor, had a side gig as a rapper, and graduated from a private liberal arts college. The democratic socialist has gained a lot of traction despite his brief career thanks to a vigorous campaign focused on raising living expenses.
Shortly after a federal judge dismissed the corruption case against him, Adams—who was still a registered Democrat—withdrew from the primary to run as an independent in April. Adams claimed the legal drama had kept him off the campaign road because he had had trouble raising money.
Related Articles
-
A purpose in this world : Older adults fear elimination of program that helps them find work
-
Longest-serving woman in Congress says she s not stopping anytime soon
-
Trump officials will give their first classified briefing to Congress on the Iran strikes
-
Kennedy s advisers endorse flu vaccines except for a few targeted by antivaccine activists
-
Supreme Court has 6 cases to decide, including birthright citizenship
Since then, he has not done any campaigning. However, Adams emphasized his own independent campaign by posting on social media that the battle for New York’s future starts tonight as the results of Tuesday’s primary were being announced, which showed Mamdani in a dominating position.
Adams has appeared to enjoy a general election contest against Mamdani, whose criticisms of law enforcement and relative lack of political experience may give Adams a chance to win reelection.
In a city where roughly two-thirds of the registered voters are Democrats, Democratic nominees often do well. However, as recently as 2009, when incumbent Mike Bloomberg won a third term after defecting from the Republican Party, New Yorkers elected an unaffiliated mayor.
Whether Adams can overcome his low status with voters is the key question.
He could win over moderate, business-minded Cuomo backers who are wary about Mamdani. However, Cuomo is considering running for office on his own, which would also place him on the ballot for the general election.
