As Mayor Eric Adams returned to the public eye after a brief hiatus, he delivered a message: he is being unfairly targeted due to his background, he has kept his campaign promises, and he is not resigning. With the mayoral primary looming in June, Adams is road-testing a message of resilience, portraying himself as a working-class Black native New Yorker running against people and institutions of privilege.
However, Adams will need to persuade voters in Black neighborhoods where he won broad support in 2021. Those voters also supported former Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, who is expected to run in the Democratic primary. The two may test the allegiances of Black voters, a key constituency that accounts for nearly one-third of Democratic primary voters.
Many Black voters have grown disappointed with Adams’s record as mayor, citing his federal indictment and his recent meeting with former President Trump. Adams has denied wrongdoing and asserts that racial and political dynamics were behind his prosecution. The Justice Department is considering dropping the charges against him.
Cuomo, on the other hand, has performed well in Black neighborhoods and has maintained close relationships with Black leaders. He has also spoken at several Black churches and has a strong reputation for being a champion of Black voters.
Some Black leaders and voters are considering backing Cuomo, citing his broad name recognition and his ability to deliver on issues such as crime rates and housing prices. However, Adams still has the support of many Black community leaders and voters, who believe he is unfairly targeted and has been a strong advocate for the Black community.
The question remains whether racial representation matters more than political capital. While many Black leaders want to stand with a Black leader, they also want to ensure that leader is supporting and working with the Black community. Adams’s openness to engaging with the right has stress-tested this question, and his primary rivals are likely to attack him on this front.
Ultimately, the outcome of the primary will depend on which candidate can best persuade Black voters to support them.