City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams is considering making a late entry into the mayoral race, saying Thursday that the city needs stronger leadership to stand up to President Donald Trump’s cuts to federal aid.
“We need a bold voice to speak to those things that are directly impacting New Yorkers on the federal level right now,” Speaker Adams said in a press conference Thursday afternoon, pointing to the Republican budget approved in the U.S. House this week that would slash funding for food assistance and Medicaid.
“Dignified, steady leadership that puts New Yorkers first and fights for our city is something that we need now more than ever before,” she said.
Adams opened a fundraising account for her potential campaign Wednesday evening, although she said she has not yet made a final decision. The low-key lawmaker from Southeast Queens had shown little interest in higher office until recently, when boosters such as Attorney General Letitia James began publicly urging her to enter the June Democratic primary.
The speaker said she was motivated to consider a campaign after witnessing Mayor Eric Adams’ unwillingness to criticize the Trump administration. The legislative leader, who has no relation to the mayor, has battled his administration on public safety bills and fought against some of his unpopular budget cuts. She has also pushed the 51-member council to approve more housing projects, including major rezonings and the City of Yes plan.
Adams, 64, would confront immediate hurdles upon entering the race — starting with fundraising. She has just $211,000 in her campaign account, while others in the crowded mayoral field already have seven-digit warchests. She could catch up by becoming eligible for public matching funds, but the next payment is not until April 15 and she must raise more money by then to even be eligible.
Adams said she is quickly assembling campaign infrastructure in order to raise money, compete for endorsements by interest groups and gather petitions to appear on the ballot — a process that began this week. All that is conditional on her deciding to actually run, and she promised to reach a decision “very, very soon.”
Notably, her candidacy could pose headaches for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, since her base in a predominantly Black section of Southeast Queens overlaps with Cuomo’s. The former governor is expected to enter the race as soon as Sunday, but the speaker declined to take him on directly.
“He’s going to have to answer for his own record, just like the rest of us are,” she said Thursday.
Attorney General James, in supporting the speaker, may also see a way to suppress the ex-governor. James helped push Cuomo out of the governor’s office after a report from her office found that he had sexually harassed current and former employees. Cuomo resigned in August 2021, but he claims she mishandled the investigation and is suing her to release interviews from the probe.
Speaker Adams said she had spoken with “several” of the other eight candidates running in the Democratic primary — a field that includes Mayor Adams, Comptroller Brad Lander, former Comptroller Scott Stringer, Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, and state Sens. Jessica Ramos and Zellnor Myrie.
All of those candidates have criticized the mayor for his warm relations with the Republican president. Asked what distinguishes her from those other candidates, the speaker said her experience leading the council over the last four years has given her unique insight into how City Hall functions.
“Who’s been working with the agencies, who’s been working with the administrative leadership right now? I’ve been that person,” she said.
