Electorate Say: End of Eric Adams Era – But, Don’t Take the Black Vote for Granted

By Nayaba Arinde
Editor-at-Large
“There is no joy in [Sunday’s] announcement, even if there is some relief,” Public Advocate Jumaane Williams told Our Time Press after the announcement that Mayor Eric Adams would not be seeking re-election. “My hope is that the city can now begin to move forward — with lessons learned, and not soon forgotten by any of us.”

Reverberations are still shaking the city after Adams Sunday afternoon announcement that–despite passionate proclamations even the day before, that he would never pull out of his re-election bid–he did just that.
Twenty-two years as an NYPD officer, almost as many as an NYC elected official, retired captain, and current incumbent mayor Eric Adams’ is looking for a new position in his fourth quarter.

“Despite all we’ve achieved, I cannot continue my reelection campaign,” he said in a video. “The constant media speculation about my future and the campaign finance board’s decision to withhold millions of dollars have
undermined my ability to raise the funds needed for a serious campaign.”
He proclaimed that it was not the end of the Eric Adams era.

“Although this is the end of my re-election campaign, it is not the end of my public service. I will continue to fight for this city, as I have for 40 years since the day I joined the NYPD to make our streets safer and our systems fairer.”

Many had predicted the political move as inevitable with his months-long numbers in the single digits. He made the announcement by video sitting on the stairs at Gracie Mansion next to big photo of his mom.

The flurry of breaking news headlines was immediate, as were the reactions from the remaining candidates–frontrunner and Democratic candidate Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, Democrat-turned-Independent former governor Andrew Cuomo, and Republican Curtis Sliwa.
“The lack of fundraising and voter defection to other candidates revealed in polling significantly narrowed his path to victory and likely pushed him to this decision,” Professor Basil A. Smikle Jr. told Our Time Press. “Given Adams’ support among older Black voters who tend to prefer more moderate, party-aligned candidates, Cuomo hopes to be able to pick up many of those votes”

Public Advocate Williams told Our Time Press, “When Mayor Adams was elected, there was real promise and potential to make progress on issues where New Yorkers broadly agree — and where a previous version of this mayor claimed he did.

Sadly, his tenure has been marked by an inability to self-reflect or course-correct after sustained and continued bad decisions, squandering potential and ensuring that the second Black mayor in our city’s history will, once again, not have a second term — overshadowing any real achievements along the way.”

Since 2022, Adams noted he had to balance a post-Covid-scarred city, followed by managing 237,000 migrants and asylum seekers arriving in the City. But, his administration was hit with scandal, bribery and corruption charges, five federal incitements – later squashed by President Donald Trump–in a largely reported alleged quid pro quo deal, dozens of administration leaving their jobs, and/or were questioned by the feds, plus four police commissioners in 3 and half years, and two Schools Chancellors.

This on top of close members of his team such as advisor Ingrid Martin-Lewis, and Jessie Hamiton facing serious corruption charges, prison time, or probation.

With the election just over a month away, folk are asking what is Adams next move, and will endorse any of the candidates? A source close to his camp denied emphatically that he would take a job in the Trump administration, but is taking time to contemplate what are his next options.

As for Mamdani’s campaign promises, Adams retorted, “That is not change, that is chaos…I urge New Yorkers to choose leaders not by what they promise, but by what they have delivered.”

Even as Trump has threatened to withhold any funds to New York if Mamdani becomes mayor, the DSA candidate said, “New York deserves better than trading in one disgraced, corrupt politician for another.” The 33-year-old Ugandan-born, Indian-heritage, Queens assemblyman stated, “On November 4th, we are going to turn the page on the politics of big money and small ideas and deliver a government every New Yorker can be proud of.”

Cuomo warned, “We face destructive extremist forces that would devastate our city through incompetence or ignorance, but it is not too late to stop them.”

Sliwa said despite any rumors, he is definitely staying in the race. While the Mandani camp has repeatedly not responded to Our Time Press requests for an interview, the voting populace is voicing discontent with the possible disconnect.

Public speculation that he may think that he does not need the Black grassroots vote to get into Gracie Mansion, as he visits churches and certain Black events, activists like Motanya Gladden said, “While I have become disillusioned by the other candidates, I’m extremely bothered by the fact that Mamdani’s team doesn’t appear to include many Blacks.”

“What will happen to Black New York City?” asked former Adams endorser Charles Billups. “Are African American and Black citizens in New York City going to be left out again?” The Chairman of the Grand Council of Guardians told Our Time Press, “We were left out right after [Mayor David] Dinkins lost. None of the other candidates are reaching out to the real grassroots community. We hear the sound bites, but they have not come to meet us face to face and explain what their plans are in the upcoming years.

“It is an error on their part not to meet with us, they are setting themselves up for failure. We have to be smart and pivot, and realize that none of these individuals will address our issues. We have to fortify ourselves for this change that is coming.”

Retired detective Marquez Claxton told Our Time Press, “Similar to David Dinkins before him, time will reveal the significance of the Eric Adams administration. From the restructuring of resources to MWBEs, adding jobs, the City of Yes housing plan, free WiFi for low-income New Yorkers, city-wide student loan forgiveness program, reducing subsidized child care costs to accomplishing historic low crime rates, the successes are impressive.

Additionally, Eric repeatedly made historic high level appointments which made his administration the most ethnically, and racially diverse in City history. These accomplishments ensured that in spite of polls and the papers, Eric was a formidable candidate for re-election. Unfortunately, the anti-Eric Adams forces starved his re-election campaign of any oxygen by denying him the funds that he rightfully deserved.”

Speaking to Our Time Press this week, AT Mitchell, the founder of Man Up, Inc., the Brooklyn-based internationally known Cure Violence organization, said, “I am very sorry to see this day.

The media used every tactic that they had and did a character assassination. It was so unjust how they used propaganda against him, but they never spoke about his record and the results.”
Mitchell concluded, “Other people have confidence in someone new. I hope they are able to get what they need for their communities. I am hopeful, but doubtful.”