Adams’ message to challengers: ‘Don’t worry about me’

New York City Mayor Eric Adams shook off a string of criticism about his leadership from emerging Democratic challenger Sen. Zellnor Myrie, claiming he intends to remain focused on running the city and his record while running for reelection.

“People just need to run their race,” the mayor told reporters Tuesday at his weekly media briefing. “Don’t worry about me.”

Myrie, a left-leaning state senator from Brooklyn, announced Wednesday that he is moving to challenge Adams in the 2025 mayoral primary. He’s the second Democrat to do so, joining former city Comptroller Scott Stringer who also formed an exploratory committee in January. 

“I think there is a broad sense that the city is rudderless, that we are lacking in leadership, and that we need to go in a new direction,” Myrie told New York Magazine columnist Errol Louis in a recent interview, adding that New Yorkers “are tired of the showmanship and really want results.” Myrie also told The New York Times that Adams has shown “a failure of competence.”

While Adams passed on returning the criticism, he was quick to defend his record.

“Just do the analysis, you know, get past the personality and just say, I’m going to put a blindfold on, and I’m going to look at the numbers of what this man has done,” he said, pointing to the city’s success in building affordable housing, its bond rating and decreases in crime. “You can say what you want, but competency is not what you can critique this administration on.”