The Story:
In voting yesterday, Eric Adams (D) became the Mayor-elect of New York City, the voter designated successor to outgoing Mayor Bill de Blasio (D). Adams defeated Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa.
Background:
Sliwa is the founder of the Guardian Angels, a volunteer organization for unarmed crime prevention. The organization, which got its start in New York City in 1979, originally with the goal of keeping the subways safe, has become broader in its focus over time and is now active in 130 cities worldwide.
Adams, who has been the Brooklyn Borough President since Jan. 1, 2014, became the Democratic Party’s nominee after prevailing over a crowded field under the new “ranked choice” voting system.
Adams has faced some criticism over his supposed place of residence at a Bedford-Stuyvesant apartment. Critics contend he doesn’t really live there, or within the city at all, but lives in Fort Lee, New Jersey. At any rate, as Mayor he will soon move into Gracie Mansion.
The Thing to Know:
Meanwhile, the people of Boston were electing as their mayor Michelle Wu, the more leftward of two left-of-center candidates, over Annissa Essaibi-George, with modest turnout. Wu’s win may strengthen the hand of the progressive/socialist Sanders Democrats within the Democratic Party. Or it may prove not to have any national impact at all.
