It’s now Adams vs. Adams — and plenty of other candidates — in the 2025 NYC mayoral race.
Adrienne Adams, the City Council speaker, confirmed on Thursday that she is officially jumping into the Democratic mayoral primary against Mayor Eric Adams — to whom she is not related.
Although the speaker, the first Black woman to hold the position, never planned to run, she said it is necessary given the crises engulfing Mayor Adams’ administration and the need to defend the overwhelmingly Democratic city against attacks from President Trump.
“New Yorkers can’t afford to live here, City Hall is in chaos, and Donald Trump is corrupting our city’s independence. It’s time to stand up,” the speaker said. “Our city deserves a leader that serves its people first and always, not someone focused on themselves and their own political interests. I’m a public servant, mother, Queens girl and I’m running for Mayor. No drama, no nonsense—just my commitment to leading with competence and integrity.”
The speaker will host a campaign kickoff event in Queens on Saturday, according to her campaign.
The news — first reported by Politico Wednesday night — comes after several days of open contemplation by the speaker on whether to jump into the fray and her Tuesday State of the City address, which sounded very much like a campaign speech at several points.
During the address, Speaker Adams painted herself as a leader who could bring people with different political views together around solving the city’s most pressing issues.
“How we gauge policy solutions should be based on their effectiveness in improving the lives of New Yorkers,” the speaker said. “We can find common ground if we choose to listen and work towards solutions together. That’s how I’ve led, and how we’ve successfully responded to some of our city’s greatest challenges.”
The speaker’s entrance will likely complicate the race for both Mayor Adams and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is the early front-runner after launching his own bid over the weekend. She is a moderate who has overlapping bases of support with both candidates.
However, the speaker will have to begin fundraising at break-neck speed, as she currently only has around $211,000 in her campaign account, according to city Campaign Finance Board records.
Speaker Adams joins a crowded field that already includes current city Comptroller Brad Lander, his predecessor Scott Stringer, state Sens. Zellnor Myrie (D-Brooklyn) and Jessica Ramos (D-Queens), Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani (D-Queens), former Bronx Assembly Member Michael Blake, and businessman Whitney Tilson.
She has represented a portion of south east Queens in the council since 2018 and was elevated to the role of speaker in 2021. Prior to that, she chaired Queens Community Board 12 for three terms and worked as a corporate executive trainer.
