New York: Adams launches re-election bid after Mamdani's surprise primary showing
Eric Adams, the New York mayor, launched his re-election campaign on Thursday, days after democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani sent political shockwaves through the New York and national Democratic party by leading in its mayoral nomination for November's election.
Adams, who did not mount a campaign for the Democratic nomination as his popular support cratered due to a corruption scandal, will now run as an independent candidate. Mamdani's decisive win against the former governor Andrew Cuomo could see Adams get wider appeal in his, though much will depend on if Cuomo also runs in the November race.
'I will fight for everyday New Yorkers who just want their city to darn work for them,' Adams said at a press conference on the steps of city hall, contrasting himself with Mamdani, whom he attacked as a 'silver spoon' socialist.
Related: Eric Adams signs order adopting controversial definition of antisemitism
'It's a choice between a candidate with a blue collar and one with a silver spoon,' he said. 'I'm not interested in slogans, I'm interested in solutions. I don't work with special interests, I work for the people.'
Adams said his record as mayor stands above the noise of politics, and his record surpasses his critics. 'There are some critics who spend more time attacking than achieving. They have a record of tweets, I have a record on the streets, a record of results.'
Adams' formal entry into the race comes as the city's business community has reacted harshly to Mamdani's nomination and policy proposals that include a freeze on rents, free bus services, city-run groceries and higher taxes on the wealthy. They may now shift their support from Cuomo to Adams.
The business community is 'struggling to understand the implications of Mamdani's victory', Kathy Wylde, CEO of Partnership for New York City, said in an interview with Semafor.
Wylde acknowledged that Mamdani's focus on affordability tapped into 'the financial insecurity young people feel and their anger that the established political class has done nothing to fix it. It's not an endorsement of socialism but rather a rejection of the status quo, which threatens to bring on the kind of political instability that business hates.'
Adams' reputation took a beating when he was indicted on federal corruption charges – charges that were later dropped in an apparent deal with the incoming Trump administration. Since Trump returned to the White House, Adams has developed an ever closer political relationship with the US president – dismaying many Democrats.
Adams met with Wall Street business leaders on Wednesday, including Daniel Loeb, a hedge fund manager, who are considering throwing their weight behind him to try to stall Mamdani, whom Adams called a 'snake-oil salesman'. The support of Wall Street, which was previously backing Cuomo, suggests an alliance between Adams' base of Black and Jewish voters against Mamdani's young and wealthy white Brooklyn-based supporters.Loeb posted to social media, 'It's officially hot commie summer,' after Mamdani's Tuesday night Democrat party primary win.
In any second term, Adams promised to continue to bring down crime, launch a citywide mental health initiative, advance vocational training and expand affordable housing. He promised that the campaign 'is going to be the most interesting political campaign in the history of the city'.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
Biden, Harris, and Walz attend funeral for former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The service Advertisement Neither Biden nor Harris spoke, but they sat in the front row with the governor, who was Harris' running mate in 2024. Biden and Harris held hands during the Lord's Prayer, a common practice, before embracing during the passing of the peace. Biden and then Harris then reached over to shake Walz's hand. Biden was also one of more than 7,500 people who paid their respects Friday as Hortman, her husband, Mark, and their golden retriever, Gilbert, lay in state in the Minnesota Capitol rotunda in St. Paul. Gilbert was seriously wounded in the attack and had to be euthanized. Biden also visited the wounded senator in a hospital. Advertisement Dozens of current and former state legislators from both parties and other elected officials who worked with Hortman also attended. Attendees took their seats before funeral services for Mark and Melissa Hortman began on Saturday, at the Basilica of St. Mary. Jeff Wheeler/Associated Press Hortman, who was first elected in 2004, helped pass an expansive agenda of liberal initiatives like free lunches for public school students during the momentous 2023 session as the chamber's speaker, along with expanded protections for abortion and trans rights. With the House split 67-67 between Democrats and Republicans this year, she yielded the gavel to a Republican under a power-sharing deal, took the title speaker emerita, and helped break a budget impasse that threatened to shut down state government. The governor's eulogy Walz said Hortman saw her mission as 'to get as much good done for as many people as possible.' And he said her focus on people was what made her so effective. 'She certainly knew how to get her way. No doubt about that,' Walz said. 'But she never made anyone feel that they'd gotten rolled at a negotiating table. That wasn't part of it for her, or a part of who she was. She didn't need somebody else to lose to win for her.' The governor said the best way to honor the Hortmans would be by following their example. 'Maybe it is this moment where each of us can examine the way we work together, the way we talk about each other, the way we fight for things we care about,' Walz said. 'A moment when each of us can recommit to engaging in politics and life the way Mark and Melissa did — fiercely, enthusiastically, heartily, but without ever losing sight of our common humanity.' The homily The Rev. Daniel Griffith, pastor and rector of the Basilica, who led the service, said the country is in need of deep healing. He said it seems as if the U.S. is living in the 'dystopian reality' described at the beginning of William Butler Yeats' poem, Advertisement 'Here in Minnesota, we have been the ground zero place, sadly, for racial injustice,' Griffith said. 'The killing of George Floyd just miles from our church today. And now we are the ground zero place for political violence and extremism. Both of these must be decried in the strongest possible terms, as they are, respectively, a threat to human dignity and indeed, our democracy.' Sophie Hortman, Colin Hortman, and Gov. Tim Walz stood behind the caskets of Melissa and Mark Hortman during their funeral services, on Saturdaya. Alex Kormann/Associated Press But the priest also said Minnesota could also be 'a ground zero place for restoration and justice and healing.' He added that the presence of so many people was a sign that that work can succeed. Archbishop Bernard Hebda of the Saint Paul and Minneapolis Archdiocese offered his condolences to the Hortman family. A private burial will be held at a later date. The Hortman family The Hortmans were proud of their adult children, Sophie and Colin Hortman, and the lawmaker often spoke of them. In a voice choked with emotion, Colin said his parents embodied the Golden Rule, and he read the After the service, Walz presented the children with U.S. and Minnesota flags that flew over the Capitol on the day their parents were killed. The suspect The man accused of killing the Hortmans at their home in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Park on June 14, and wounding Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman, and his wife, Yvette, at their home in nearby Champlin, made a brief court appearance Friday. He's due back in court Thursday. Advertisement Vance Boelter, 57, of Green Isle, Boelter remains jailed and has not entered a plea. Prosecutors need to secure a grand jury indictment first. His lawyers have declined to comment on the charges, which could carry the federal death penalty. Friends have described Boelter as an evangelical Christian with politically conservative views. But prosecutors have declined so far to speculate on a motive.
The Hill
2 hours ago
- The Hill
GOP senator attempts to assuage Medicaid fears over Trump bill: ‘Nobody … wants to hurt people'
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) attempted to play down fears that the 'big, beautiful bill' would hurt Medicaid recipients on a Saturday night CNN appearance as Senate Republicans scramble to push the massive legislation package to a vote. Steep cuts to Medicaid proposed in the initial drafts of the bill have been a significant sticking point among a few Senate Republicans, as well as a point of criticism from Democrats, who have bashed the bill as cutting social services for the poor while expanding tax cuts for the wealthy. On CNN, Rounds defended a proposal that would expand Medicaid work requirements to apply to parents of children over the age of 14. 'We're not actually cutting Medicaid. What we are doing is significantly slowing down the increase in growth in Medicaid over the next 10 years, and that's our goal,' Rounds claimed. He later added, 'Nobody on my side of the aisle wants to hurt people.' Other compromises on Medicaid in the works include a fund for rural hospitals and a delay on tax cuts that help fund state contributions to the health care program. Any changes to the bill, however, still have to pass muster from the Senate parliamentarian, who enforces the chamber's rules on what kinds of legislation can be passed through a simple majority. And Republican leaders also have to balance ensuring that any changes made on the Senate side are palatable to the House, as well as President Trump. If the bill proceeds to a floor vote, Democrats may attempt to slow down its passage by having the Senate clerks read the entire text out loud, a possibility that Rounds critiqued. Then, senators will be able to propose and vote on unlimited amendments. 'And when we're all done with that, then you have a final vote on the bill, up or down,' Rounds said. 'We've got a long couple of days ahead of us, but we will be successful in the end.'
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Updated Senate bill slashes wind and solar incentives – and adds a new tax
An updated draft of the Senate's megabill text slashes tax incentives for wind and solar energy – and adds a new tax on future wind and solar projects. The initial draft released by Senate Republicans earlier this month cut the credit for any wind and solar projects that did not 'begin construction' by certain dates, while the latest version bases incentives on when projects actually begin producing electricity — a much higher bar to clear. The first draft gave any project that began construction this year full credit, any project that began construction next year 60 percent credit and any project that began construction in 2027 20 percent of the credit, before they were phased out thereafter. The new legislation instead says that the credits will only apply to facilities that begin producing electricity before the end of 2027. In addition, it imposes a new tax on some wind and solar projects that are placed in service after 2027. The projects that will be taxed if a certain percentage of the value of their components come from China. The Democrats' 2022 Inflation Reduction Act included hundreds of billions of dollars in tax credits for low-carbon energy sources, including renewable energy. These subsidies were expected to massively reduce the U.S.' planet warming emissions. The GOP's cuts to the credits are expected to severely curtail those gains. If they pass, the cuts represent a win for the party's right flank, which has pushed for major cuts to the credits, and a loss for it's more moderate wing which has called for a slower phaseout. The renewables lobby slammed the changes as hampering the sector. 'In what can only be described as 'midnight dumping,' the Senate has proposed a punitive tax hike targeting the fastest-growing sectors of our energy industry. It is astounding that the Senate would intentionally raise prices on consumers rather than encouraging economic growth and addressing the affordability crisis facing American households,' Jason Grumet, CEO of the American Clean Power Association, said in a written statement. 'These new taxes will strand hundreds of billions of dollars in current investments, threaten energy security, and undermine growth in domestic manufacturing and land hardest on rural communities who would have been the greatest beneficiaries of clean energy investment,' he added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
