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Preliminary results of the Democratic primaries push former police officer Eric Adams to the mayoral office in metropolitan New York.
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Although Tuesday was ‘only’ Democratic primaries, the winner has a good chance of becoming the 110th mayor of New York. Adams took in 31.7 percent of the vote Tuesday night (local time), far ahead of second candidate Maya Wiley (22.3 percent).
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There is no doubt that the new mayor of New York will be a Democrat. The Democrats dominate the metropolis of New York. The winner of the Democratic primary will therefore almost certainly win the general election on November 2.
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Because the Democrats historically dominate New York, the winner of the Democratic primary is almost certainly the new mayor.
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With almost 32 percent of the vote, Adams seems to be able to warm up as the successor to current mayor Bill De Blasio. Born and raised in New York City, former police officer Adams is the current district mayor of Brooklyn.
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Initially, entrepreneur and outsider Andrew Yang was the top favourite. His lack of policy experience – something he played out and translated into fresh ideas – eventually turned against him. He admitted his defeat last night with just 11.6 percent of the vote.
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Safety
The new mayor’s plate looks full. The corona pandemic had a strong hold in New York. It weakened the city medically and economically. The deprivation of people of color also came to the fore again after the death of George Floyd.
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And then there was the theme of the elections: security. Since the beginning of this year, shootings in the city have risen by no less than 73 percent. In a city where insecurity is the top concern, observers say Adams was able to profile himself as a former police officer.
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Top 5 System
However, the outcome is not yet completely certain. The New Yorkers were allowed to indicate a top five on their ballot for the first time. That ranking helps determine who it ultimately becomes. That system, coupled with the delay in postal vote counting, means the winner may not be announced until mid-July.
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Adams could become the city’s second black mayor.
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With 82 percent of the votes counted, the top three is pretty much clear. Two women follow after Adams. Maya Wiley (22.3 percent), a former De Blasio adviser and African American, and Kathryn Garcia (19.5 percent), former Health Affairs Alderman. If one of them still wins, New York will get a ‘mayor’ mother for the first time.
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But also if Adams wins the race, it will be quite unique. He could become the city’s second black mayor after David Dinkins (mayor between 1990 and 1993).
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