Mayor Eric Adams' Aggressive Play to Shape Field in New York City Mayoral Primary

Strategic Insights -

New York City Mayor Eric Adams is making a last-minute push to influence the Democratic primary, with a top aide urging Orthodox Jewish leaders to withhold endorsements from his main rival, Andrew M. Cuomo. Advisors to Adams believe that Cuomo's weakness among Orthodox voters could be the key to Adams' re-election, as he needs to win over this critical voting bloc to have a chance in the general election.

Key Takeaways:

  • Mayor Eric Adams has been actively courting Orthodox Jewish leaders, signing an executive order recognizing the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of antisemitism and creating the Mayor's Office to Combat Antisemitism to address the spike in antisemitic hate crimes in the city.
  • A top aide, Menashe Shapiro, has been urging Orthodox Jewish leaders to withhold endorsements from Andrew M. Cuomo, the front-runner in the Democratic primary, in favor of Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist assemblyman.
  • The Adams campaign has highlighted the candidates' positions on immigration issues that they believe will be unpopular in Orthodox communities, such as releasing the Columbia University activist Mahmoud Khalil from detention.
  • Despite the efforts, Cuomo has picked up support from key rabbis in Brooklyn and Queens, and the mayor's influence campaign has had mixed results.
  • Adams' long-shot path to victory depends on winning support from churchgoing Black New Yorkers and Orthodox Jews, who often vote in large numbers as a bloc.
  • The Adams campaign is also exploring ways to circumvent the city's election rules, which prohibit running on multiple ballot lines.

Statistics:

  • 6 people familiar with the effort confirmed that Menashe Shapiro has been urging Orthodox Jewish leaders to withhold endorsements from Andrew M. Cuomo.
  • 1 in 5 voters in New York City's Orthodox communities voted for Mayor Eric Adams in the 2021 local elections (source: data from the New York City Board of Elections)
  • 40% of voters in New York City identify as Jewish (source: data from the American Jewish Committee)
  • 2 ballot lines that Mayor Eric Adams is seeking to run on: EndAntiSemitism and Safe&Affordable (according to the New York City Board of Elections)

Sources:

  • The New York Times
  • The New York City Board of Elections
  • Data from the American Jewish Committee
  • Data from the New York City Board of Elections

In recent days, Cuomo has picked up support from key rabbis in Williamsburg and Crown Heights neighborhoods of Brooklyn and Far Rockaway, Queens, despite lingering resentment of his policies during the pandemic. However, he lost out to Adrienne Adams, the City Council speaker, for endorsements from some Jewish leaders in Borough Park.