The Mayor of New York City is the executive director of the city government, as stipulated in the New York City statutes. The current incumbent of office, 110 in the sequence of regular mayors, is Eric Adams, a member of the Democratic Party. Adams is the second black mayor in the city's history and will take office in January 2021. He was embraced by both Mayor Bill de Blasio, who was seeking to chart a more leftist course for New York, and by centrist leaders such as Michael R. Bloomberg.
Adams was the favorite candidate of unions and wealthy donors. Adams was upbeat when he took the stage at the New York Marriott in Brooklyn an hour after the polls closed, singing “The Champ Is Here”, a song by Jadakiss that he used during his campaign, before giving his acceptance speech. Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels and a mayoral candidate himself, admitted defeat Tuesday night and pledged his support to Adams. Adams grew up poor in Queens and Brooklyn and has spoken out about being a victim of police brutality. He spent his first years in public life as a traffic police officer and, later, as a captain who lobbied for changes from within the system. This experience cemented his credibility among many older voters of color, some of whom distrust the police and are also concerned about crime. During the primary elections, amidst an increase in armed violence and the discordant attacks on the subway that fueled public fears about crime, Adams became one of his party's most unwavering advocates for the police to maintain a strong role in preserving public safety.
He has emphasized that he plans to focus on eradicating inefficiency and has several proposals he wants to present. Adams has made it clear that large companies have a role to play in guiding the city's recovery, and there are signs that he could have a much warmer relationship with business leaders than that of Mr. De Blasio. He opposes the abuse of police stop-and-frisk tactics, but believes that practice plays a role in some circumstances. And he has called for a more visible police presence in the subway. Recently, De Blasio promised to begin phasing out the gifted program in city schools, which places children on different academic pathways and has been criticized for exacerbating segregation.
Adams has indicated that he wants to maintain and expand access to the program and, at the same time, create more opportunities for students with learning problems, such as dyslexia. New York City Mayor Eric Adams has asked his predecessor Bill de Blasio to stop his team from criticizing the current administration. Political observers expected results from two Long Island district attorney elections that tested suburban attitudes to recent criminal justice reforms. Direct elections for mayor of New York City began in 1834. Since then, Eric Adams is the 110th mayor elected by popular vote.
