New York City Mayor Eric Adams formally kicked off his independent bid for reelection on Thursday.
Adams, whose favorability ratings plummeted amid bribery charges that were later dropped in what some alleged was a quid pro quo with the Trump administration, is viewed as having long odds to pull off a win for a second term in office. However, he maintained he plans to go forward with his bid in opposition to state Assembly member Zohran Mamdani.
“I am so proud to be here to say to the people of the city of New York, I am seeking reelection to be your mayor of the city of New York,” he said.
He also took jabs at Mamdani without naming him, criticizing his proposal to enact citywide rent freezes in rent-controlled apartments. He argued that this will hurt landlords who need to make small increases to rent to ensure they can keep up with the cost of living.
He also said he’s not interested in “Twitter politics.” Mamdani has received widespread attention throughout the race for his prowess at social media messaging.
“You don’t lead this city from a soapbox. You lead it with action, not rhetoric,” Adams said.
“This election is a real choice. This election is a choice between a candidate with a blue collar and one with a silver spoon. A choice between dirty fingernails and manicured nails. A choice between someone who delivered lower crime, the most jobs in history and the most new housing built in decades and an Assembly member who did not pass a bill,” Adams said.
Mamdani pulled off a stunning upset of former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in the Tuesday primary after outperforming expectations. Cuomo had been the favorite for months to win the Democratic nomination and position himself to complete a political comeback after his 2021 resignation as governor. (RELATED: Andrew Cuomo Concedes To Zohran Mamdani In Stunning Political Upset)
Mamdani, a state legislator since 2021, has faced some criticism over his lack of experience in office, including that only three pieces of legislation he’s introduced have become laws.
Andrew Cuomo said he’s “assessing that landscape” to determine whether to go forward with an independent run for New York City mayor after a shocking defeat in the Democratic primary.
As of the latest vote count, Mamdani leads in the first round of counting in the Democratic primary with 43.5 percent to Cuomo’s 36.4 percent.
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