Push for NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams to run for mayor underway in effort to block Andrew Cuomo, source says

New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams is reportedly being nudged to run for mayor to blunt the possibility of an Andrew Cuomo mayoralty, according to a person close to her.

Newsday isn’t naming that person because they spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the subject.  

Those trying to draft the council speaker — who isn’t related to New York City Mayor Eric Adams — consider the current candidate bench unlikely to defeat Cuomo, the former New York governor, in June’s Democratic primary election.

For his part, Mayor Adams, whose federal corruption case President Donald Trump’s administration has ordered dismissed, said Wednesday night he expects to be reelected — something recent public polling suggests is unlikely.

The speaker, a 64-year-old Black woman from southeast Queens, is likely to draw outsize support from some of the same potential voters as Cuomo, who throughout his career has counted on Black voters for his success.

The push to get the speaker to run, including from some state elected officials and others, has been the subject of news reports and has picked up steam in recent days, particularly during caucus weekend earlier this month in Albany, the source also told Newsday on Thursday.

Cuomo, who resigned in 2021 as governor following a sexual harassment scandal after decades in government, is reportedly eyeing a mayoral run, with an announcement imminent.

Several public polls show him beating everyone else in the current field, which includes state lawmakers and the current and former city comptroller.

But Cuomo also has some of the highest negative attributes of anyone, according to polling.

He was criticized in government reports for COVID-19 deaths of elderly nursing home patients and misrepresenting related statistics. Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi didn’t immediately return a message seeking comment Thursday.

Adrienne Adams and Eric Adams went to Bayside High School in Queens together. Earlier this week, after half Adams’ deputies announced resignations, she called for him to resign.

The mayor’s administration didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.

Check back for updates on this developing story.