NEW YORK — Mayor Eric Adams downplayed a third-party ballot that confirmed him trailing within the mayoral race and took a dig at former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who topped the sector.
“Polls don’t make mayors. Folks do,” Adams mentioned at an unrelated press convention Monday. He held up a printout of a Feb. 10, 2021 story from British information website The Unbiased titled ‘Andrew Yang opens up large lead in race to be subsequent New York Metropolis mayor.’
“One other Andrew,” Adams mentioned. “In February, Andrew was kicking my rear. And you already know what? We don’t say Mayor Yang. We are saying Mayor Adams.”
Certainly Yang — an unconventional 2020 presidential candidate — led polls for months, till the previous Brooklyn borough president overtook him in Might within the 2021 Democratic main for the open mayor’s seat.
This yr, nevertheless, Adams is an unpopular, indicted incumbent and in contrast to Andrew Yang — a newcomer to New York politics on the time — Cuomo has gained workplace statewide.
In a ballot of this yr’s Democratic main first printed by POLITICO, the mayor tied for sixth place when possible voters have been requested to select their first alternative in what shall be a ranked-choice election. Adams acquired simply six %, far behind Cuomo, who led with 32 % assist.
On a pattern ranked-choice poll that eradicated respondents who have been not sure who to select, Cuomo began with 39 % to Adams’ 8 % and ultimately gained in spherical 5 with 51 %.
Former Metropolis Comptroller Scott Stringer was a distant second to Cuomo in each situations.
The ballot was performed in December by Hart Analysis Associates and commissioned by Progressives for Democracy in America, a bunch that wished to evaluate which candidates might be aggressive with the well-known former governor.
Cuomo resigned in 2021 after a report discovered he sexually harassed 11 ladies, expenses he denies. He has not dedicated to operating for mayor, although he’s speaking to potential employees and contemplating asserting subsequent month.
Adams likes to share his personal underdog story, as a cop with dyslexia from a working class household who turned mayor after trailing within the polls. And he appeared to take a dig at Cuomo, who entered politics by working for his father Mario Cuomo, a three-term governor.
“Once you take a look at a number of the those that ran (for) workplace, they inherited empires. I didn’t,” Adams mentioned. “I didn’t inherit an empire. I needed to begin from the underside, and now I’m right here.”
New Yorkers join with him due to that, Adams mentioned, and no one will outwork him within the mayoral race.
Different latest surveys have proven Adams’ assist cratering months earlier than he was indicted on federal corruption expenses in September. Adams has pleaded not responsible and plans to run for reelection whereas on trial.
Cuomo spokesperson Wealthy Azzopardi declined to remark.
Adams has largely strayed from criticizing Cuomo, however not too long ago teased to POLITICO that he would possibly assault the previous governor for signing legal guidelines reforming the state’s bail course of, which the mayor argues led to an increase in crime.
Mayoral candidate Brad Lander made the identical comparability to Yang that Adams did.
“I regarded again 4 years in the past, and I noticed that one other Andrew at this level within the information cycle was on prime of the polls,” he mentioned at a separate press convention Monday.
“That is the very starting of the mayoral race. I don’t imagine that New Yorkers need one other corrupt chaos agent at Metropolis Corridor,” Lander added, referring to Cuomo. Town comptroller has put a specific give attention to conserving the previous governor out of workplace.
Lander ranked third within the Progressives for Democracy in America ballot, following Stringer at 10 %, and forward of state Sen. Jessica Ramos and former Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. — who’s mentioned he’s not operating — at 7 %. Adams and Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani tied for sixth, as the popular candidate of 6 % of possible voters every.
