When Governor Kathy Hochul sought a full term as New York’s first female governor, she moved quickly to secure the support of nearly every major New York Democrat. . One surprising holder: Mayor Eric Adams.
That will change on Wednesday, when the mayor is expected to announce his support for Hochul at a rally in Manhattan – a key last-minute endorsement that could help her bolster the support of fellow voters. New York City voters in the June 28 Democratic primary.
In a statement shared with The New York Times, Mr. Adams said that he and the governor quickly realized “we have the same priority” in improving public safety and access to care. child care and housing, while making New York more affordable for working people. .
“Since then, Governor Hochul has been a real partner, working on behalf of New Yorkers every day – and it has delivered real results,” he said. “I look forward to continuing that work for many years to come with Governor Hochul and working together to elevate this city and state to the next level.”
This endorsement would help cement an unlikely political alliance between Mr. Adams and Ms. Hochul, two centrist Democrats from radically different backgrounds who voted the same nonetheless. together.
But the magnitude of the difference that 11-hour support makes with voters will likely depend on whether Mr. Adams, an active messenger, chooses to fully join the political network that won mayor. for him last year and actively campaigned for Ms. Hochul or not. in the final stages of the race.
The two Democrats plan to start with a rally Wednesday morning in Manhattan with three powerful unions: the local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union, the Gaming and Hospitality Trade Council, and the International Union of Service Employees. District 37, New York City’s largest municipal union.
Hochul, a Buffalo native who took office last summer, has no trouble winning against New York’s muscular political establishment, labor unions and sponsors. Money and party support alone are likely to secure her victory in this month’s primaries, in which polls show her top colleagues as Democrat Representative Thomas. R. Suozzi and Jumaane D. Williams, New York City public advocates, by healthy profit.
But the governor has struggle to create intrusion and generate enthusiasm between Black voters in Brooklyn and Queens and Latino voters in Brooklyn, Queens, and Bronx, who send Mr. Adams to the office and has long formed the basis of winning Democratic coalitions across the state. The staunch backing there could complicate her chances of winning the general election in November, when Republicans believe they have the best record of claiming a full office. state in New York for more than a decade.
Republicans plan to try to tap into the fear of crime that has grown in cities across the state since the coronavirus pandemic broke out. As a former police officer who has made crime fighting the hallmark of his administration to date, Mr. Adams could also prove to be an important voice in defense of the governor, if he so chooses.
The governor said in a statement that she and Mr. Adams were “united” in fighting gun violence, improving public safety and restarting the city’s sluggish economy.
“We are committed to building a new chapter in our state’s history, focused on teamwork, cooperation and political progress,” Ms. Hochul said.
However, Ms. Hochul clearly still has a lot of political work to do, including with some local leaders. It is noteworthy that she has so far not received an endorsement from Letitia James, the New York attorney general, another prominent black political leader from Brooklyn who ran the gubernatorial campaign. own for a short time.
Mr. Adams himself had waited to endorse Ms. Hochul until after the end of the annual legislative session in Albany, a move that may have helped increase his leverage with the governor in control negotiations. mayor control over New York City schools, state support for New York. City public housing and the expansion of the city’s speed camera program.
He may still be looking for more leverage.
Most recently Monday, Mr. Adams asked Mrs. Hochul to veto a bill passed on the last days of the session impose a two-year ban about the new cryptocurrency mining license. The governor has not publicly said whether she will sign or veto the bill, but she is also under intense pressure from environmental advocates to sign it.
Publicly, Mr. Adams and Ms. Hochul have worked hard to build a friendly partnership, a stark contrast to their predecessors, Bill de Blasio and Andrew M. Cuomo, who spent the better part of eight years of war. Ms. Hochul spoke at Mr. Adams’ election night victory party last fall; she openly supported the mayor’s control of New York City schools; and finally included in the state budget some changes to state bail laws motivated by Mr. Adams.
But beneath the surface, there have been streams of disgruntled comments from the mayor, who believes Ms Hochul may have tried harder for his priorities in the negotiations in Albanyaccording to people familiar with his thinking.
There are also signs that Mr. Adams’ own support may be less convincing than it used to be.
Recent polls show that both Mr. Adams and Ms. Hochul are struggling to maintain popularity amid fears of rising crime, painful inflation and a slumping New York job market behind the national average.
A recent poll of Spectrum News NY1 and Siena College found that only about one-third of New York City residents believe the city and state are on the right track, and 70 percent said they feel less safe since entering pandemic occurred. The resident gave Mr. Adams and Ms. Hochul a moderate approval rating.
The mayor’s decision will be a disappointment to Mr Suozzi, a Long Islandist who had hoped that his previous support for Mr Adams could lead to reciprocal endorsements. back or at least a pledge of neutrality as he tried to oust Ms. Hochul in the Primary Democracy case. Mr. Suozzi chose one of Mr. Adams’ former deputies, Diana Reyna, as his executive friend and has campaigned on a tough crime-fighting platform mayor’s reflection.
“I still consider Eric Adams a brother, but if he wants to stop crime from rising in New York City, he will need a new governor in Albany who will fix bail reform.” Mr. Suozzi said after Tuesday’s endorsement. “I will.”
Mr Adams has also maintained a friendly relationship with Mr Williams, a Brooklynite colleague who is challenging Ms Hochul from the left.
