What you should know
- Eric Adams beat Curtis Sliwa to become the 110th Mayor of New York City. He will take office on January 1 and will be the second black person to hold this position.
- Adams, the Brooklyn Borough President who spent 22 years in the NYPD before entering politics, is 61 years old and describes himself as a practical progressive.
- He inherits the great challenge of New York City’s recovery from the pandemic that has claimed the lives of more than 34,500 New Yorkers. Additionally, you must run a city where the economy is still devastated by the ongoing and after-effects of COVID.
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New York City Mayor-elect Eric Adams pledged Wednesday to be a forward-thinking and practical mayor who “gets things done” for the nation’s largest city.
“Listen, you can be as philosophical as you want,” Adams said in “Morning Joe“from MSNBC.” I’m not going to be a philosophical mayor. I’m going to be a mayor who is going to be a mayor who gets things done. “
Adams, a 61-year-old Democrat and former police officer who will be New York City’s second black mayor, defeated Republican Curtis Sliwa on Tuesday. He takes office on January 1.
Adams, who narrowly won a Democratic primary in June in a field that included candidates to his left on issues like fiscal policy and surveillance, said his own agenda is progressive.
“I am practical and I am progressive,” Adams said. “We have allowed that term to be hijacked, and I am not going to allow anyone to tell me that my policies are not progressive to deal with housing, to deal with health care and the major issues we face.”
When asked on CNN about the “out-of-control awakening” in his party, Adams responded, “I think it is imperative that we have the discussion, we debate, we have conversations before the election.”
He said, once again, that once the elections are over, “you have to get things done.”
Adams will succeed limited-term Mayor Bill de Blasio, a fellow Democrat.
As mayor, Adams inherits the great challenge of recovering the city from the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 34,500 New Yorkers and continues to infect hundreds every day.
You will also have to run a city where the economy is still plagued with pandemic-related challenges. The tourism industry has not yet returned. Office buildings remain partially empty and people continue to work from home. Schools are trying to get children back on track after a year of distance learning.
De Blasio tweeted his congratulations to Adams Tuesday night, saying he “epitomizes the greatness of our city. He will be an outstanding mayor.”
The last days of the campaign occurred when De Blasio argued with the unions about a mandatory vaccination order for all city employees. As mayor, Adams will have to decide whether to continue or expand the vaccine mandates implemented by De Blasio.
