Eric Adams, a former New York City Police Department captain, is the city’s next mayor and the second Black person to hold the position in history following the late David Dinkins, who ran the city from 1990 to 1993. Adams defeated Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa in Tuesday’s Nov 2 election.
The Associated Press called the race a quarter after 9 p.m. Adams won with 73 percent of the vote with 26 percent of votes counted. During an appearance on CNN’s “New Day” with John Berman, Adams said in a statement that he wanted people to know his “story.”
“Being a dishwasher, having a learning disability, being arrested as a child, going to school at night, working in a mailroom,” the Brooklyn native continued. “That was the story I wanted to send New Yorkers, and they felt me. And because of that, I’m now going to be the mayor of one of the greatest cities on the globe.”
The former state lawmaker is a firm believer that “public safety is the prerequisite to prosperity.” That message coupled with his promise to heighten and reform the NYPD amid concerns over the increase in crime in the city earned the Brooklyn borough president the votes he needed.
Adams is also a supporter of the controversial “stop and frisk” when used legally and was often criticized about it. While on the campaign trail earlier this year, the politician stated that he “fought against abusive stop-and-frisk. It’s on the record.”
However, he noted that, “If you have a police department where you’re saying you can’t stop and question, that is not a responsible form of policing.” He plans to reform how the problematic tactic is used.
During his victory speech, the 61-year-old made a big push for unity, The Guardian reported, telling his supporters at a celebration at the New York Marriott, “Tonight, New Yorkers have chosen one of their own. I am you.”
He continued. “Today, we take off the intramural jersey and we put on one jersey, Team New York. Tonight is not just a victory over adversity; it is a vindication of faith. It is the proof that the forgotten can be the future.”
The mayor-elect was born in Brownsville, Brooklyn, in 1960, and often spoke about his difficult upbringings. He would later reveal that he decided to join the force in order to make change from within following a violent encounter with police officers when he was 15 years old, the outlet stated. Adams joined the police in 1984 and became a captain before leaving in 2006 to run and win state senate.
Adams will replace current city Mayor Bill de Blasio, whose second term was embroiled in a host of issues to include a pandemic, record-breaking job losses and less-than-favorable transportation system.
