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.

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 in Poughkeepsie, New York. Adams's personal connection to the CUNY system informed his later advocacy as Brooklyn Borough President for making community college tuition free for qualifying students, an initiative he championed publicly.

Career

Law Enforcement Career (1984–2006)

Adams began his law enforcement career in 1984, joining the New York City Transit Police, which was responsible for policing the city's subway system. When the Transit Police merged with the NYPD in 1995, Adams continued his service in the consolidated department. Over the course of more than two decades, he rose through the ranks to the position of captain before retiring in 2006.

During his time in law enforcement, Adams became known as an outspoken voice on matters of racial profiling and police misconduct. He co-founded 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care, an advocacy organization that sought to address racial bias within the NYPD and to bridge the divide between police and communities of color. The organization publicly challenged practices such as stop-and-frisk policing and called for greater accountability when officers engaged in discriminatory behavior. Adams's dual identity as both a police officer and a critic of police misconduct became a defining feature of his public profile. He defended certain aspects of stop-and-frisk while calling for reforms to prevent racial profiling, a position he articulated alongside fellow Brooklyn politician Hakeem Jeffries.

In one notable episode, Adams drew attention to NYPD officer Michael Daragjati, who was recorded using a racial slur after a stop-and-frisk encounter, an incident Adams cited as evidence of systemic issues within the department. Adams also participated in demonstrations while serving as a state senator, including wearing a hoodie on the floor of the New York State Senate in solidarity with Trayvon Martin, the unarmed teenager killed in Florida in 2012.

New York State Senate (2007–2013)

Adams was elected to the New York State Senate in 2006, representing the 20th district in Brooklyn. He succeeded Carl Andrews and took office on January 1, 2007. During his tenure in the state legislature, Adams focused on issues including public safety, education, and civil rights.

As a state senator, Adams was an advocate for marriage equality in New York. He publicly supported the legalization of same-sex marriage, lending his voice to the campaign that culminated in the passage of New York's Marriage Equality Act in 2011.

Adams also continued his advocacy on policing issues from the legislative chamber. He used his platform to call for reforms to stop-and-frisk practices and to address what he described as persistent racial bias in the criminal justice system. His background in law enforcement lent credibility to his critiques and positioned him as a figure who could speak to both the concerns of police officers and the grievances of communities affected by aggressive policing tactics.

He served in the State Senate until December 31, 2013, when he departed to assume the office of Brooklyn Borough President. He was succeeded in the Senate by Jesse Hamilton.

Brooklyn Borough President (2014–2021)

In 2013, Adams was elected as the 18th Brooklyn Borough President, making history as the first Black American to hold the office. He succeeded Marty Markowitz and was re-elected in 2017. As borough president, Adams oversaw a period of significant development and demographic change in Brooklyn, one of the most populous urban counties in the United States.

Adams played an active role in the city's Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), which governs major zoning and land use decisions. He weighed in on several high-profile development proposals in Brooklyn, including opposing elements of the East New York rezoning plan, which he and other local officials argued did not adequately protect existing residents from displacement. He also participated in the review of the 25 Kent Avenue development in Williamsburg.

During his tenure, Adams championed several social and health-related initiatives. He advocated for the establishment of breastfeeding rooms in city buildings, pushing for legislation to make public facilities more accessible to nursing mothers. He also became a vocal proponent of plant-based diets after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, and he publicly credited dietary changes with improving his health.

Adams also continued to engage on policing and criminal justice issues from his borough-level platform. Following the death of Eric Garner at the hands of NYPD officers in 2014, Adams drew on his own experiences with police brutality to call for reforms, writing about the need to bridge the divide between police and the communities they serve. In 2016, he publicly expressed outrage after four NYPD officers were recorded violently arresting an off-duty postal worker in Crown Heights, calling the incident an example of excessive force. The charges against the mailman were later dropped.

Adams joined student-led rallies against gun violence during his time as borough president, aligning himself with national movements calling for stricter firearms regulation. He also waded into debates about incarceration policy, calling for the reinstatement of solitary confinement at Rikers Island following a violent incident involving inmates, a position that drew criticism from criminal justice reform advocates.

Mayoral Campaign and Election (2021)

In 2021, Adams entered the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City, a crowded contest that was the first citywide race to employ ranked-choice voting. Running on a platform centered on public safety, Adams drew on his background in law enforcement to position himself as a candidate uniquely qualified to address rising concerns about crime in the city. He appealed to a broad coalition that included moderate Democrats, Black and Latino voters, and working-class New Yorkers who prioritized policing and public safety.

Adams won the Democratic primary after multiple rounds of ranked-choice tabulation, emerging from a field that included several prominent candidates. In the November 2021 general election, he faced Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels, and won in a landslide, consistent with the city's heavily Democratic electorate.

Mayoralty (2022–2025)

Adams took office as the 111th Mayor of New York City on January 1, 2022, succeeding Bill de Blasio. His administration prioritized public safety, with Adams pursuing what was characterized as a tough-on-crime approach. One of his early and most prominent actions was the reintroduction of a plainclothes NYPD unit, which had been disbanded under de Blasio amid concerns about aggressive policing. Adams argued that the unit was essential for combating gun violence and other serious crimes.

Adams also implemented a zero-tolerance policy targeting homeless individuals sleeping in subway cars, combining increased police presence in the transit system with social services outreach. The policy generated significant debate, with supporters contending it was necessary to restore order in the subway system and critics arguing it criminalized homelessness without addressing its root causes.

Throughout his tenure, Adams faced the challenge of managing the arrival of tens of thousands of asylum seekers and migrants to New York City, which strained municipal resources and prompted conflicts with the federal government. Adams publicly criticized the Biden administration's handling of the migrant crisis, arguing that the city was not receiving sufficient federal support to accommodate the influx.

Federal Indictment and Legal Proceedings

In September 2024, Adams was indicted by federal prosecutors on charges of bribery, fraud, and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations. The indictment alleged that Adams had accepted improper benefits from foreign nationals and had sought to conceal illegal campaign contributions. Adams pleaded not guilty to all charges and alleged that the prosecution was retaliation for his public criticism of the Biden administration's immigration policies.

The case took a significant turn in February 2025 when the United States Department of Justice, under the incoming Trump administration, instructed federal prosecutors to drop the charges against Adams. On April 2, 2025, Judge Dale Ho formally dismissed the case.

Budget and Fiscal Legacy

Adams's fiscal management of the city became a subject of scrutiny following his departure from office. His successor, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, publicly faulted Adams for leaving behind a $12 billion budget gap, describing the financial situation as a "poisoned chalice" and calling for tax increases to address the shortfall. Political observers noted that Adams had made several administrative decisions in the final weeks of his term that created complications for the incoming administration.

Post-Mayoral Career (2026–present)

After leaving office on December 31, 2025, Adams remained a public figure. In April 2025, while still serving as mayor, he had announced his intention to seek re-election as an independent candidate in the 2025 New York City mayoral election, having effectively forfeited the Democratic primary. However, in September 2025, facing poor poll numbers, Adams withdrew from the race and endorsed former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo subsequently lost the general election to Zohran Mamdani, who took office on January 1, 2026.

In early 2026, Adams drew attention for promoting a cryptocurrency venture that was subsequently linked to the disappearance of approximately $1 million, according to reporting by The New York Times. Officials associated with the venture denied that any funds had been stolen.

Adams has continued to comment on city affairs, including calling on politicians to condemn incidents of NYPD officers being struck with snowballs during a February 2026 blizzard. He also attracted attention on social media for a remark about a blizzard and its effect on the city's population, which was widely discussed online.

A federal lawsuit filed by former interim NYPD Commissioner Tom Donlon, which alleged that Adams had operated the NYPD as a "racketeering enterprise," was dismissed by a federal judge in February 2026.

Personal Life

Adams resides in Brooklyn and has long identified the borough as his home. He has a son and has been in a relationship with Tracey Collins, an educator. Adams was registered as a member of the Republican Party from 1995 to 2002 before switching his affiliation to the Democratic Party, with which he has been registered since 2002.

Adams is known for his advocacy of a plant-based diet, which he adopted after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. He has publicly credited the dietary change with reversing his diabetes symptoms and has promoted plant-based eating as a public health measure, both in his personal capacity and through city programs during his time as mayor. His emphasis on health and wellness became a recurring theme in his public appearances.

Legacy

Eric Adams's tenure as mayor of New York City remains a subject of active debate and analysis. Commentators and journalists have noted that the full scope of his administration's conduct may take years to assess, with New York Magazine observing that "it will take years to fully grasp Eric Adams's corruption," pointing to continuing revelations about his administration's practices even after his departure from office.

Adams was the second Black mayor of New York City—following David Dinkins—and the first person with a career in the NYPD to serve as mayor since the mid-twentieth century. His election in 2021 was seen as reflecting a shift in the city's Democratic electorate toward a greater emphasis on public safety following a period of rising crime during the COVID-19 pandemic. His approach to policing, which combined support for expanded police powers with his personal history of criticizing police misconduct, represented a distinctive ideological position that defied easy categorization.

His federal indictment and the subsequent dropping of charges under a new presidential administration raised questions about the intersection of local governance and federal law enforcement priorities. The fiscal challenges he left behind, including the $12 billion budget gap identified by his successor, have shaped the policy landscape for the Mamdani administration and remain a central part of discussions about Adams's record in office.

Adams's earlier achievements—including his historic election as Brooklyn's first Black borough president, his co-founding of 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care, and his advocacy on issues ranging from marriage equality to education funding—constitute a broader public record that extends beyond his time as mayor.