Eric Adams
| Eric Adams | |
| Born | Eric Leroy Adams 1 9, 1960 |
|---|---|
| Birthplace | Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Template:Flatlist |
| Title | 111th Mayor of New York City |
| Known for | 111th Mayor of New York City, Brooklyn Borough President |
| Education | John Jay College of Criminal Justice (BA); Marist College (MPA) |
| Children | 1 |
Eric Leroy Adams (born September 1, 1960) is an American politician and retired New York City Police Department (NYPD) captain who served as the 111th Mayor of New York City from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2025. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Adams spent more than two decades in law enforcement before entering electoral politics, serving in the New York State Senate from 2007 to 2013 and then as the 18th Brooklyn Borough President from 2014 to 2021—the first Black American elected to that office. He won the 2021 New York City mayoral election in a landslide over Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa after prevailing in a competitive Democratic primary that employed ranked-choice voting for the first time. As mayor, Adams pursued a policing-centered public safety agenda, reintroduced a plainclothes NYPD unit dissolved under his predecessor Bill de Blasio, and adopted strict enforcement measures targeting homelessness in the city's subway system. His administration was upended in September 2024 when he was indicted on federal charges of bribery, fraud, and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations—charges to which he pleaded not guilty and which were ultimately dropped by the Department of Justice under the Trump administration in February 2025. After an unsuccessful attempt to mount an independent re-election bid in 2025, Adams withdrew from the race and endorsed Andrew Cuomo, who lost to Zohran Mamdani. Mamdani succeeded Adams as mayor on January 1, 2026.
Early Life
Eric Leroy Adams was born on September 1, 1960, in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up in modest circumstances in the neighborhoods of Bushwick and East New York, areas that in the 1960s and 1970s were marked by poverty, crime, and racial tension. Adams has spoken publicly about formative encounters with law enforcement during his youth, including an incident in which he was beaten by police officers at the age of fifteen while being held in custody. That experience, which Adams has described as pivotal in shaping his worldview, motivated him both to pursue a career in policing with the goal of reforming it from within and to become an advocate against police brutality.[1]
Adams grew up in a large family and has cited his upbringing in a working-class household as instrumental in forming his views on economic opportunity and public service. His early life in Brooklyn remained a central element of his political identity throughout his career, and he frequently referenced his roots in East New York and Bushwick in public remarks and campaign messaging.
Education
Adams attended New York City public schools before pursuing higher education alongside his law enforcement career. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, part of the City University of New York (CUNY) system, which specializes in criminal justice and public service education. He later obtained a Master of Public Administration degree from Marist College.
Law Enforcement Career
Adams joined the New York City Police Department in 1984 and served for over two decades, rising to the rank of captain and serving in various assignments including the Transit Police, patrol duties in Brooklyn, and as a precinct commander. While still serving as an officer, Adams co-founded 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care, an advocacy organization focused on fighting police brutality, improving police-community relations, advocating for diversity in law enforcement, and speaking out against racial profiling. His willingness to publicly criticize the department while still serving was controversial but earned him a national profile as a reform-minded officer. Adams retired from the NYPD in 2006 with a pension.
Political Career
State Senate
In 2006, Adams was elected to the New York State Senate, representing parts of Brooklyn. He served in the Senate from 2007 to 2013, focusing on issues including criminal justice reform, public safety, and economic development in Brooklyn.
Brooklyn Borough President
In 2013, Adams was elected Brooklyn Borough President, a position he held for two terms from 2014 to 2021. As Borough President, he promoted economic development in Brooklyn, advocated for criminal justice reform, focused on health initiatives, and built a political coalition across Brooklyn's diverse communities.
Mayoral Administration
In 2021, Adams ran for Mayor of New York City on a platform emphasizing public safety and policing, working-class New Yorkers, and economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. He won the Democratic primary in a close ranked-choice voting contest and then the general election decisively, taking office on January 1, 2022, as the 111th Mayor of New York City.
As mayor, Adams focused on a "Get Stuff Done" agenda emphasizing pragmatic governance, with key priorities including public safety and reducing crime through expanded police presence in the subway system, reinstatement of controversial plainclothes anti-crime units, and changes to bail policy.
Legal Issues
In September 2024, Adams was indicted on federal charges including bribery, wire fraud, and solicitation of foreign campaign contributions related to alleged dealings with Turkish interests. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. In April 2025, federal prosecutors moved to dismiss all charges, citing changed circumstances and law enforcement priorities under the new administration.
External links
- ↑ "Death of Garner Dredges Memories for BP Adams".Brooklyn Eagle.2014-12-04.http://www.brooklyneagle.com/articles/2014/12/4/death-garner-dredges-memories-bp-adams.Retrieved 2026-02-24.