New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams is running for mayor, making a late entrance into the Democratic primary to unseat indicted Mayor Eric Adams.
Her decision stands to shake up the race as her traditional base of support overlaps with that of the two scandal-scarred executives headlining the contest: Eric Adams and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
“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,” Adrienne Adams said in a statement.
“I never planned to run for Mayor, but I’m not giving up on New York City,” she added. “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.”
She’s expected to begin petitioning for ballot access immediately, according to a person familiar with her plans who was granted anonymity to discuss private conversations. She is also planning to hold a campaign rally Saturday in her home borough of Queens.
This would be Adrienne Adams’ first citywide race and the low-profile legislative leader would need to quickly fundraise and build out a team with fewer than four months until the June 24 Democratic primary. She has low name recognition and very little time to qualify for the city’s public matching funds program — all but essential for anyone running for mayor.