Adrienne is on the horn

New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams is not only receiving calls about running for mayor. She’s making calls too. In recent days, Adams has reached out to multiple members of the council to take the temperature about the possibility, including Council Members Gale Brewer and Amanda Farías, as well as at least five other members and at least one other mayoral candidate who asked not to be named.

“She called to see what people think,” said Brewer, who said she told the speaker that she thinks everybody who wants to run should do so. “She’s certainly a very distinguished public servant.”

Just days away from the start of petitioning, the New York City mayoral field is still not set. The would-be front-runner, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, has yet to actually enter the race. After “Caucus Weekend” in Albany last weekend, Politico first reported that state Attorney General Letitia James was encouraging Speaker Adams to jump in. Adams is known for being a low-key elected official, and has previously not appeared interested in seeking higher office after she’s term-limited out of the council at the end of the year. Follow-up reporting from the Daily News indicated that labor power-brokers at District Council 37 and 32BJ SEIU were supportive of the idea. 

A source close to the speaker said she’s still weighing her options and that no decision has been made.

Speaker Adams would enter the race with some advantages: support from one of the most prominent elected officials in the state – James – and a reputation as a well-liked, no nonsense council leader. Supporters see her as a strong alternative to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and hope that her candidacy could prevent the former governor from dominating the current mayoral field. But she would face enormous headwinds. She’s way behind in fundraising, has low name recognition, and she shares a last name with a very prominent candidate for the same office – a fellow Black moderate from Queens named Eric Adams.