Overview:
If NYC Mayor Eric Adams steps down, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams would turn into performing mayor, triggering a particular election.
By Rachel Kahn and Rachel Holliday Smith Feb. 18, 2025, 3:21 p.m.
Since President Donald Trump’s Division of Justice made the extremely uncommon transfer to drop Mayor Eric Adams’ federal corruption fees, requires Adams’ resignation are mounting.
For months, Adams has adamantly denied that he’ll ever step down, together with within the days after the DOJ’s edict. However the decision isn’t completely up to him.
The governor or a particular metropolis committee may take away him.
No matter whether or not Adams had been to depart workplace voluntarily or involuntarily, the following steps could be the identical.
Right here’s what would occur subsequent if the mayor leaves workplace:
Again up: Has this ever occurred earlier than?
Solely two New York Metropolis mayors have ever resigned: Jimmy Walker in 1932, and William O’Dwyer in 1950. And although each mayors left workplace resulting from corruption scandals, neither had been ever criminally charged the way in which Adams has been.
Nevertheless, the New York Metropolis Constitution — the doc outlining all guidelines for metropolis authorities — has modified within the final 75 years, and if Adams had been to depart workplace right now, it might set off a brand new course of for changing him that has by no means been enacted earlier than.
Esther Fuchs, a professor Worldwide and Public Affairs and Political Science at Columbia, says that she understands why we’re seeking to historical past to make sense of the current — however that this case is exclusive.
“We’re in a specific second the place historic precedent shouldn’t be actually that related, to be sincere,” Fuchs advised THE CITY. “I’ve by no means seen something like this, I’ve been working on this house for a very long time.”
First: Public advocate as performing mayor
In response to the Metropolis Constitution, when the mayor steps down, the general public advocate turns into performing mayor. The present public advocate is Jumaane Williams, who on Feb. 14 mentioned that Adams may now not preserve his job.
“He can’t be the mayor of this metropolis and govern this metropolis the way in which it must be ruled,” he mentioned in an interview on PIX11.
If Williams had been someway unable to behave as mayor, then Comptroller Brad Lander could be subsequent in line. Lander has been calling for Adams’ resignation since his indictment in September, and is at the moment working to switch him.
Inside three days of Adams leaving workplace, Williams must announce a date for a particular election to discover a extra everlasting mayor.
Second: Particular election
The particular election for a brand new mayor could be held on the primary Tuesday that comes 80 days after the mayor has left workplace.
Just like the common mayoral major, the election would use ranked choice voting, the place voters rank as much as 5 candidates. If somebody will get greater than 50% of first selection votes, they win, but when not, the voting continues in rounds. (Our explainer of ranked selection voting goes into the nitty gritty.)
Since there wouldn’t be any primaries for the particular election, it might be nonpartisan, that means that every one candidates would run as people with out get together affiliation. And it implies that all voters no matter get together affiliation may vote, together with registered Republicans, Democrats and independents all collectively — not like the June major, which is closed.
Large asterisk: If Adams leaves workplace too late, Williams would keep mayor till November.
If Adams had been to depart workplace inside 90 days of June primaries — so, after March 26 — then there is no such thing as a particular election, in line with the Constitution.
In that case, Williams would stay performing mayor till the final election in November. The mayor-elect would then instantly take workplace, reasonably than ready till January 1, 2026 when the mayor is often sworn in.
What would this imply for the mayoral race?
Even when Adams doesn’t depart workplace, we’ll be electing a brand new mayor in September, they usually’ll be sworn in subsequent January.
However Fuchs reminds readers that that’s nearly a 12 months from now.
“The reality is, we’re going to have an election very quickly, the folks of New York will converse,” Fuchs mentioned. “However the query is absolutely, can we wait?”
If somebody had been to switch Adams by way of a particular election, they might be in workplace till the brand new mayor elected this November takes their place.
Williams, and whoever wins the particular election, would nonetheless each be eligible to run for mayor in 2025 — which might make the particular election an vital one to look at, as an incumbent mayor may need a greater likelihood of pulling forward in subsequent 12 months’s race.
Adams’ resignation would additionally open the race to individuals who have expressed the need to run provided that Adams isn’t in search of reelection, together with Metropolis Council Minority Chief Joseph Borelli, a Republican from Staten Island, who said in September that he would enter the ring in a particular election if Adams had been to step down.
A nonpartisan election may give Borelli a greater likelihood at profitable, since he could be a neighborhood Republican chief up in opposition to a big pool of Democrats.
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo may also be a persuasive candidate in a particular election, as his identify recognition would doubtless propel him to the lead — as we’re already seeing in latest mayoral polling.
There’s additionally nothing stopping others who’ve declared their candidacies for mayor in 2025 from becoming a member of the particular election. Lander, who could be subsequent in line after Williams to succeed Adams, is already planning on working for mayor in 2025, together with State Sen. Zellnor Myrie (D-Brooklyn), State Sen. Jessica Ramos (D-Queens), former comptroller Scott Stringer and others.
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