NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams officially enters mayoral race
March 6, 2025, 7:33 a.m.
The Queens Democrat’s decision comes a week after telling Gothamist she was forming a campaign fundraising committee.
New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams is running for mayor, joining a crowded field of Democrats seeking to oust Mayor Eric Adams from office.
The Queens lawmaker announced her campaign in a statement late Wednesday, a week after telling Gothamist she was registering a campaign fundraising committee. She highlighted the city’s affordability and governance challenges while taking a dig at the incumbent mayor, who has faced federal corruption charges since last fall, and declining approval ratings before that.
“New Yorkers can't afford to live here, City Hall is in chaos, and Donald Trump is corrupting our city's independence,” the speaker said. “It’s time to stand up.”
“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.”
Politico first reported the news of the speaker’s official campaign launch. The city’s primary election is scheduled for June 24, and the mayoral race will feature ranked-choice voting, where voters can rank up to five candidates in order of preference. Candidates have until early April to collect the required number of petition signatures to get on the ballot.
Speaker Adams, who is not related to the mayor, becomes the second woman in the race, after state Sen. Jessica Ramos. Her announcement also comes just days after former Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he was running for mayor. Adams said she plans to hold her first campaign event Saturday in Rochdale Village in southeast Queens, which she represents as a councilmember.
As head of the City Council, she has sparred with Mayor Adams over various policy differences, including on criminal justice and housing. She called for him to resign over his criminal charges, which he has contested, last month, following the abrupt resignations of four of his top deputies and a directive by the U.S. Department of Justice for Manhattan federal prosecutors to drop the case.
“We have an anti-woman tyrant in the White House, who’s creating chaos on a federal level and it's making life less affordable and stable for working families,” Speaker Adams told Gothamist in a recent interview. “I’m fighting for the soul of the city right now.”
Adams has served on the City Council since 2018 and will have to leave her current office after this year because of term limits. She delivered her final State of the City address as speaker on Tuesday, outlining an agenda focused on investing in city services and countering the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams sets lofty agenda ahead of possible mayoral run Adrienne Adams takes first step toward NYC mayoral run. Will voters buy in? Will the City Council speaker try to become the second Mayor Adams in a row?