Metropolis Council Speaker Adrienne Adams is being approached by pols and labor leaders to run for mayor.
Photograph by Lloyd Mitchell
As Mayor Eric Adams’ reelection hopes proceed to dim and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo seems to be on the verge of coming into the race for Metropolis Corridor, some Democratic pols and labor leaders are turning to somebody who has proven zero curiosity in operating for mayor: Metropolis Council Speaker Adrienne Adams.
The speaker, who has led the council since 2022, has been fielding calls from an array of elected officers, labor teams, and advocates urging her to leap into this yr’s Democratic mayoral major, in accordance with three sources acquainted with the matter. Amongst these pushing Adams to run are state Legal professional Basic Letitia James and leaders of town’s largest municipal union, District Council 37, as first reported by Politico and confirmed by two of the sources.
“The groundswell of support from Albany is real,” one supply, who was granted anonymity to debate the non-public matter, informed New York News Metro Thursday. “What does that mean for the speaker? She doesn’t know.”
The speaker’s workplace didn’t instantly touch upon the prospect of her being recruited to run.
Thea Setterbo, a DC37 spokesperson, mentioned in an announcement that the union is “not recruiting anyone to run for mayor.”
“We follow an endorsement process and look forward to the candidates addressing our members’ questions at our mayoral forum on Feb. 26,” she added.
The supply mentioned these making an attempt to recruit the speaker to enter the race view her as somebody who might stand in the way in which of Cuomo dominating the present mayoral area, as they’ve overlapping constituencies. Many native pols concern Cuomo returning to energy because of the brash and aggressive governing model that outlined his time as governor.
The speaker, who’s Black, represents a portion of southeast Queens, dwelling to an energetic Black middle-class voter base. She has served within the Metropolis Council since 2017 and is term-limited on the finish of this yr.
Adams vs. Adams?
Mayor Eric Adams and Metropolis Council Speaker Adrienne Adams shake fingers on price range deal in tense press convention. Thursday, June 29, 2023.Photograph by Dean Moses
One supply mentioned additionally they view her as somebody who might be a bulwark in opposition to Mayor Adams, whom she shouldn’t be associated to, for a similar motive.
Whereas the speaker has typically discovered herself at odds with Mayor Adams over an array of political and coverage points, she has by no means proven any curiosity in difficult him electorally. Thus, her management model has typically been one in all cautious public feedback and behind-the-scenes negotiations reasonably than making brash political statements to seize headlines.
The obvious push for the speaker to enter the competition comes because the mayor faces an almost unattainable path to re-election, following President Trump’s Justice Division’s choice to dismiss his federal corruption case final week.
The mayor is going through rising calls to resign or be eliminated by Gov. Kathy Hochul after former appearing US Legal professional Danielle Sassoon accused his authorized crew of participating in a quid professional quo with high DOJ officers final week. Sassoon charged that Adams’ lawyer, Alex Spiro, provided his cooperation with Trump’s mass deportation push in trade for dropping the fees in opposition to him.
Spiro, Mayor Adams, and DOJ officers all deny Sassoon’s accusation. Adams swore below oath that he didn’t have interaction within the alleged quid professional quo throughout a Wednesday court docket listening to, which he informed NY1 reveals that it didn’t occur.
“A question that has been, I think, inappropriately put out there that was in some form of quid pro quo,” Mayor Adams mentioned throughout the NY1 interview. “Was I forced for my acknowledgement? Was I forced at anything? And under oath, I clearly stated I was not.”
In the meantime, on Thursday, it was reported that Hochul will probably not take away Mayor Adams from energy — however reasonably impose sanctions designed to curb a few of his govt authority.
It additionally comes as Cuomo seems fairly prone to launch his personal marketing campaign imminently over the following couple of weeks.
The previous governor, who resigned amid almost a dozen allegations of sexual misconduct that he denies, has constantly led the present area in public polling over the previous few months. He additionally has an enormous marketing campaign struggle chest on the state degree that he might conceivably use as a mayoral candidate.
Cuomo is seen by the present area of Democratic candidates and plenty of different metropolis electeds as a power who would dominate the race if and when he runs.
