I’m running for mayor because I’m an everyday New Yorker — and I know life in this city has never felt harder for families like mine.
We need leadership focused on us, not distracted by scandals or compromised by donors. Someone ready to lead with solutions, not still learning on the job. I come from a working class family — my parents were union members in Southeast Queens.
It’s the same place where I raised my family, and it’s where I want my children to stay. But I see what you see: it’s too hard for New Yorkers like us to stay in our city. Rents are rising. Grocery bills are growing. No matter how hard you work, you can’t make enough to afford it all. And the things you rely on — safe subways and streets, open libraries and good schools — are the exception, not the rule.
Many elected officials talk about these problems. But I’ve lived them. Other candidates ask you to believe in their plans. But I ask you to judge me by the work I’m already doing.
For working New Yorkers like my family, there’s no room for error. We need someone who can do the job on day one. I’ve shown I can — by getting results on affordability, safety, and opportunity. This moment is too serious for political theater. New Yorkers deserve more than a show. We deserve a mayor who’s in it for us.
As City Council speaker, I protected early childhood education, kept our libraries open, and blocked deep cuts to the programs working families rely on. As mayor, I’ll go even further — expanding universal pre-K, increasing access to elder care, and making the CUNY Reconnect program permanent so working adults can finish their degrees.
To lower the cost of living, we need more housing — and we need it faster. I helped pass the most significant zoning reforms in a generation, unlocking the creation of more than 120,000 new homes. As mayor, I’ll use every tool available — cutting red tape, shortening timelines, and using emergency powers to get affordable housing built in every borough. I’ll protect tenants, support first-time buyers, and make sure developers build for working people, not just for profit.
Public safety also demands real leadership — not empty slogans. I’ve already invested in violence prevention programs and community safety initiatives that work. As mayor, I’ll restore NYPD Transit staffing, expand social worker response teams, and launch new de-escalation units to reduce assaults in our subway system. We’ll crack down on organized retail theft rings while offering real off-ramps for people struggling with mental health or addiction.
And when it comes to standing up to Donald Trump, I won’t flinch. I led the fight to block his ICE expansion on Rikers Island. After the MAGA U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe, I helped New York become a safe haven for reproductive care. Now, with Trump threatening to slash funding for schools and health care, we need a mayor who’s ready to push back — and protect the people of this city.
I know what this city can be, because I’ve lived it at its best. And I’ve fought for it when those responsible for leading it were at their worst.
This campaign isn’t about personal ambition. It’s about the people who’ve been overlooked, overcharged, and counted out. It’s for paramedics like my daughter, who worked through COVID on little sleep and less pay. For the families who never gave up on this city — even when it felt like the city had given up on them.
I’m Adrienne Adams. I lead how I’ve lived. I’m in it for us.
Adams has served as City Council speaker for four years and is a candidate for mayor in this month’s Democratic Party primary.
https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/06/11/adrienne-adams-why-i-am-the-best-candidate-for-mayor/