New York City Mayor Eric Adams has responded to news that he may be indicted on charges connected to a federal probe, stating that he will remain in office and fight the charges “with every ounce of my strength and spirit.” The only person who can replace him is Governor Kathy Hochul. She would have the power to remove him from office before his term is up, but a source told The Post there is no chance Hochul would take this action.
If Adams were to leave office early following his federal indictment, he would be replaced by lefty Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, who would take over as acting mayor and set the date for a special election. Comptroller Brad Lander, a Democrat and Adams’ rival running for mayor next year, is next in line after Williams.
A special election would only be set if it’s 90 days before the upcoming primary election that’s in June 2025. Williams would need to mark a date for a special election on the first Tuesday at least 80 days from when he assumed power, according to the city charter. The special election would be non-partisan, and there would be no primaries; candidates would appear on the ballot without party affiliation.
Adams, who was sworn in at the start of 2022, is facing a tough reelection fight with a number of candidates jumping into the primary next June.
