Eric Leroy Adams (born September 1, 1960) is an American politician and former police officer who served as the 111th mayor of New York City from 2022 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, Adams was an officer in the New York City Transit Police and then the New York City Police Department (NYPD) for more than 20 years, retiring at the rank of captain. He served in the New York State Senate from 2006 to 2013, representing the 20th district in Brooklyn. In 2013, Adams became the first black American to be elected Brooklyn Borough President; he was re-elected in 2017.
In 2021, Adams received the Democratic Party's nomination for mayor of New York City after winning a crowded primary that used ranked-choice voting. In the general election, Adams won a landslide victory over Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa. As mayor, he took what is regarded to have been a tough-on-crime approach and reintroduced a plain-clothed NYPD unit that had been disbanded by the previous administration. He also implemented, alongside increased police presence, a zero-tolerance policy on homeless people sleeping in subway cars.
In September 2024, a series of investigations into Adams's administration intensified. Adams was indicted on federal charges of bribery, fraud, and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations. Adams pleaded not guilty to the charges. He alleged that the charges were retaliation for opposing the Biden administration's handling of the city's 2020s migrant crisis. In February 2025, the Department of Justice in the Donald Trump administration instructed federal prosecutors to drop charges against Adams. Judge Dale Ho dismissed the case against Adams on April 2, 2025.
In April 2025, Adams announced that he would seek re-election as an independent in the 2025 New York City mayoral election. In September, he withdrew his candidacy following flagging poll numbers, endorsing Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo lost to Zohran Mamdani, who succeeded Adams as mayor on January 1, 2026. In April 2026, Adams became an honorary Albanian citizen by presidential decree.
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Early life and education
Eric Leroy Adams was born in Brownsville, Brooklyn, on September 1, 1960.
He was the fourth of six children.
His mother, Dorothy Mae Adams-Streeter (1938–2021), worked double shifts as a housecleaner and had received only a third-grade education. His father, Leroy Adams, was a butcher who struggled with alcoholism. Both of his parents moved to New York City from Alabama in the 1950s. Adams was raised in a rat-infested tenement in Bushwick, Brooklyn. His family was so poor that he often brought a bag of clothes to school with him in case of a sudden eviction from his home.
As a young boy, he sometimes earned money as a squeegee boy.
By 1968, his mother managed to save up enough money to buy a house and move the family to South Jamaica, Queens.
At age 14, Adams joined a gang, the 7-Crowns, and became known as "a tough little guy". He would hold money for local hustlers. He also ran errands, including purchasing groceries, for a dancer and part-time prostitute named Micki after she became injured. After Micki refused to pay for the groceries he purchased or his work, Adams and his brother stole her TV and a money order. The two were later arrested for criminal trespassing. While in police custody, they were allegedly beaten by NYPD officers until another cop intervened. Adams was sent to a juvenile detention center for a few days before being sentenced to probation. Adams had post-traumatic stress disorder after the incident and has said that the violent encounter motivated him to enter law enforcement. He was particularly intrigued by black police officers and by the "swagger" and "respect" that comes with being in law enforcement. Herbert Daughtry of The House of the Lord Pentecostal Church added to his motivation when he suggested that by joining the police force, he could aid in reforming police culture from within. Adams would later attend his church on occasion.
Adams graduated from Bayside High School in Queens in January 1979, but struggled to maintain good grades. He began attending college while working as a mechanic and a mailroom clerk at the Brooklyn District Attorney's office, receiving an associate degree from the New York City College of Technology, a bachelor's degree from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and an MPA from Marist College in 2006. Adams experienced an academic turnaround that he credits to a dyslexia diagnosis in college: "I went from a D student to the dean's list." As a result, he became a strong advocate for early dyslexia screening in public schools.
Policing career (1984–2006)
Adams served as an officer in the New York City Transit Police and the New York City Police Department (NYPD) for 22 years. He has described his wanting to serve as a reaction to the abuse he suffered by the NYPD in his youth and separately stated that he was encouraged to join to lead reform from within. He attended the New York City Police Academy and graduated second in his class in 1984.
Adams started in the New York City Transit Police and continued with the NYPD when the transit police and the NYPD merged. He worked in the 6th Precinct in Greenwich Village, the 94th Precinct in Greenpoint, and the 88th Precinct covering Fort Greene and Clinton Hill. In 1986, white police officers raised their guns at Adams when he was working as a plainclothes officer; he was mistaken for a suspect. During the 1990s, Adams served as president of the Grand Council of Guardians, an African American patrolmen's association.
Adams worked with the Nation of Islam in the 1990s because of their work in patrolling crime-ridden housing projects. Adams met with their leader Louis Farrakhan and appeared on stage with him at an event. Adams also suggested that Mayor David Dinkins meet with Farrakhan and hire the Nation of Islam's security company to patrol housing projects. Adams's ties to Farrakhan—who has made antisemitic comments—received criticism in the New York Post.
In 1995, Adams served as an escort for Mike Tyson when he was released from jail following his rape conviction. That same year, in response to Rudy Giuliani's election as Mayor, he co-founded 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care, an advocacy group for black police officers that sought criminal justice reform and often spoke out against police brutality and racial profiling. The group also held tutorials that taught black male youth how to deal with the police if they are detained, which included turning on the car's dome light, putting their hands on the wheel and deescalating the situation. However, many activists, including Al Sharpton, criticized Adams's efforts, claiming that he was merely teaching young black people how to "live under oppression."
In 2006, Adams was put under surveillance and investigated by the NYPD for appearing on television in his official capacity as a police officer and critiquing Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Internal Affairs Bureau of the NYPD opened an investigation into this and charged Adams with disseminating misinformation, divulging official police business, and speaking as a representative of the department without permission. He retired from the police force with the rank of captain shortly after being found guilty for speaking in an official capacity.
Early political career
In the 1990s, Adams began to eye a political career with the ultimate goal of becoming the Mayor of New York City. He spoke to William Lynch Jr., who was an advisor to Mayor David Dinkins, about a political career. Lynch encouraged Adams first to obtain a bachelor's degree, rise within the NYPD's ranks and successfully run for a lower political office.
During the 1993 mayoral election, Adams, a supporter of the incumbent David Dinkins, made a controversial comment about a candidate for New York State Comptroller, Herman Badillo. Adams said that if Badillo—who was Puerto Rican—were concerned about the Hispanic community, he would have married a Hispanic woman and not a white Jewish woman. These comments became a point of turmoil in the election. They caused controversy for Dinkins, who ultimately lost the election.
In 1994, Adams ran for Congress against incumbent Major Owens in the Democratic primary for New York's 11th congressional district, condemning Owens for denouncing Louis Farrakhan, but failed to receive enough valid signatures to make the ballot. Adams claimed his petition signatures had been stolen by someone on behalf of Owens, but police found no corroborating evidence.
Adams registered as a Republican in 1997 before switching back to the Democratic Party in 2001, according to the Board of Elections. Adams has said his switch to the Republican Party was a protest move against what he saw as failed Democratic leadership.
New York State Senate (2007–2013)
In 2006, Adams ran for the New York State Senate. He was elected and served four terms until 2013, when he was elected Brooklyn Borough President. He represented the 20th Senate District, which includes parts of the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Brownsville, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, and Sunset Park.
He placed billboards around parts of Brooklyn bemoaning pants sagging. He also published an instructional video to teach parents how to search their child's room for contraband. In the demonstration, Adams finds a crack pipe in a backpack, bullets behind a picture frame, and marijuana secreted inside of a doll. As a freshman state senator in 2007, he joined other legislators requesting a pay raise for New York's lawmakers, who had not received a raise since 1999. At the time, they ranked third-highest in pay among state lawmakers in the United States. During his speech on the floor supporting a pay raise for legislators, he said, "Show me the money."
In 2009, two New York State Senate Democrats aligned with Republicans, creating a standoff over who would be the Senate's next leader. Adams worked to foster a compromise to nominate John L. Sampson as the Minority Leader of the New York State Senate. That same year, Adams was one of 24 state senators to vote in favor of marriage equality in New York State. He spoke in support of the freedom to marry during the debate before the vote. After the bill failed to become law, he again voted to legalize same-sex marriage in New York in 2011. On July 24, 2011, New York's Marriage Equality Act came into effect.
In 2010, Adams became Chair of the Senate Racing and Wagering Committee and was praised for his engagement. He would spend hours traveling and visiting racetracks to study the issue further. He came under investigation for his handling of choosing an operator to run the gambling operation at the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens. A report conducted by the state inspector general was critical of Adams's judgment as he leaked information on the bidding process, fundraised from potential bidders, and attended the victory celebration of the company awarded the contract. The matter was referred to the United States Department of Justice, but it took no action. Adams admitted no wrongdoing, calling the report a "political hit piece".
In February 2010, Adams was one of just eight members of the New York Senate who voted not to expel Senator Hiram Monserrate from the legislature after he was convicted of assault for dragging his girlfriend down a hallway and slashing her face with a piece of glass.
Brooklyn borough president (2013–2021)
On November 5, 2013, Adams was elected Brooklyn Borough President with 90.8 percent of the vote, more than any other candidate for borough president in New York City that year. In 2017, he was elected with 83.0 percent of the vote. In both of his campaigns, he was unopposed in the Democratic primaries.
Under the New York City Charter, borough presidents must submit Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) recommendations on certain uses of land throughout their borough. Adams used his ULURP recommendations to propose additional permanently affordable housing units in the rezoning of East New York; the relocation of municipal government agencies to East New York to reduce density in Downtown Brooklyn and create jobs for community residents; and the redevelopment of 25 Kent Avenue in Williamsburg as manufacturing space, with increased property taxes directed to the acquisition of the remaining proposed sections of Bushwick Inlet Park and their development as a community resource.
Based on a report prepared by the Independent Budget Office of New York City (IBO) at his request, Adams urged the City University of New York (CUNY) system to explore reinstating free tuition for two-year community colleges, which could improve graduation rates and lead to increased earnings potential and taxpayer contribution, as well as expand access to higher education. Adams advocated for making two-year CUNY colleges free.
Adams introduced a bill in the New York City Council that would require all municipal buildings providing services to the public to have lactation rooms. The council passed the bill on July 14, 2016.
After Adams received a personal diagnosis of type two diabetes in 2016, he adopted and began advocating for policies that would promote a plant-based diet and healthier lifestyle. The Office of the Brooklyn Borough President launched a plant-based nutrition page on its website with links to resources encouraging vegan and plant-based lifestyles and printable handouts produced by the borough. Adams urged the City Council to pass a resolution called "Ban the Baloney", aiming for schools across the city to stop serving processed meats. He also avidly supported "Meatless Mondays" in public schools. In 2021, Adams authorized a grant from the borough to SUNY Downstate College of Medicine to establish a plant-based supplemental curriculum.
2021 mayoral campaign
Adams had long been mulling a run for New York mayor, and on November 17, 2020, he announced his candidacy for Mayor of New York City in the 2021 election. He was a top fundraiser among Democrats in the race, second only to Raymond McGuire regarding the amount raised.
Adams ran as a moderate Democrat, and his campaign focused on crime and public safety. He has argued against the "defund the police" movement and in favor of police reform. Public health and the city's economy were cited as his campaign's other top priorities. Initiatives promoted in his campaign include "an expanded local tax credit for low-income families, investment in underperforming schools, and improvements to public housing."
On November 20, 2020, shortly after formally announcing his run for mayor of New York City, Adams attended an indoor fundraiser with 18 people in an Upper West Side restaurant during the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing criticism. He held an already scheduled fundraiser the following day in Queens, when a 25-person limit on mass gatherings was in place. Adams's campaign said that there were eight people at the event and that they were required to wear masks and practice social distancing.
While Adams opposed NYPD's "stop and frisk" policy, during his State Senate tenure, he supported it during his 2021 mayoral campaign. In February 2020, Adams said that "if you have a police department where you're saying you can't stop and question, that is not a responsible form of policing". For much of the race, Adams trailed entrepreneur Andrew Yang in public polling. However, Adams's standing in the polls grew stronger in May. He emerged as the frontrunner in the final weeks of the election. In the months leading up to the election, crime rose in New York, which may have benefited Adams, a former police officer, who ran as a tough-on-crime candidate.
While running for office, Adams faced scrutiny from several media outlets regarding his residency. Adams and his partner, Tracey Collins, own a co-op in Fort Lee, New Jersey near the George Washington Bridge, where some critics allege he actually resides.
On July 6, Adams completed a come-from-behind victory and was declared the winner of the Democratic primary, ahead of Kathryn Garcia, Maya Wiley, Andrew Yang, and others, in New York's first major race to use ranked-choice voting.
Mayor of New York City (2022–2025)
Mayoral transition
After getting elected, Adams reconfirmed his pledge to reinstate a plainclothes police unit that deals with gun violence. Some Black Lives Matter activists denounced the effort, but Adams labeled the behavior "grandstanding."
On November 4, 2021, Adams tweeted that he planned to take his first three paychecks as Mayor in bitcoin and that New York City would be "the center of the cryptocurrency industry and other fast-growing, innovative industries."
Adams announced he would bring back the "gifted and talented" school program, improve relations with New York State, review property taxes, and implement agency budget cuts ranging from 3% to 5%.
On October 15, 2024, Adams appointed Chauncey Parker as the new Deputy Mayor for Public Safety.
Opinion polling
Shortly after Adams's inauguration, polls found that he had a 63% approval rating. On June 7, 2022, a poll conducted by Siena College, in conjunction with Spectrum News and its NY1 affiliate, found that Adams had an approval rating of 29%. The poll also found that 76% of New Yorkers worried they could be a victim of a violent crime. A December 2023 poll published by Quinnipiac University Polling Institute showed Adams's approval rating at 28% among registered voters, which at the time was the lowest approval of any mayor since the institution began polling in the city in 1996. In October 2024, in the midst of multiple investigations into wrongdoing, a Marist College poll found Adams's approval rating to be just 26%. It further found that 65% of respondents believed Adams had committed illegal acts, and 69% thought he should resign; if he did not resign, 63% expressed a desire for governor Hochul to remove him. By March 2025, another Quinnipiac University poll found that Adams's approval rating had fallen to just 20%.
Tenure
Adams took office shortly after the New Year's Eve Ball Drop at midnight in Times Square, holding a picture of his recently deceased mother, Dorothy, while being sworn in. He became the city's second mayor of African American descent to hold the position after David Dinkins left office in 1993.
Shortly after becoming Mayor, Adams sought a waiver from the Conflicts of Interest Board to hire his brother, Bernard, for a $210,000 paying job in the NYPD, where he would serve as the head of his personal security detail. Bernard started working the job on December 30, 2021, two days before Adams was inaugurated as Mayor. Adams was accused of nepotism for this pick. Adams said white supremacy and anarchists are on the rise and "suggested that he can trust no one in the police department as much as he can his own kin." He was also criticized for his hiring of Philip Banks III, a former NYPD commander, to serve as deputy mayor for public safety. Banks had been the subject of a federal investigation by the FBI in 2014, the same year he resigned from the police force.
Eight days into Adams's tenure as Mayor, an apartment fire in the Bronx killed 17 people, including eight children. In response to the fire, Adams announced that a law requiring self-closing doors to prevent smoke and fires from spreading throughout apartment buildings would be enforced. However, his administration faced criticism for its slow response in distributing disaster funds to those impacted by the fire.
New York City faced a significant uptick in crime during the first months of Adams's tenure as Mayor. The uptick in crime was highlighted by the shooting deaths of two NYPD officers, Jason Rivera and Wilbert Mora, when responding to a domestic disturbance in Harlem. In response, Adams announced that he would be bringing back a police unit made up of plainclothes officers, which was disbanded by de Blasio in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd. The unit was officially revived on March 16, 2022. Amid the crime spree, President Joe Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland visited New York City and vowed to work with Adams to crack down on homemade firearms, which lack traceable serial numbers and can be acquired without background checks. Throughout Adams's first year in office, crime continued to rise, resulting in both The New York Times and the New York Post labeling his plans as "ineffectual".
In early February 2022, a video of Adams from 2019 leaked in which the then-Borough President boasted about being a better cop than his "cracker" colleagues. Adams apologized for his comments, saying, "I apologize not only to those who heard it but to New Yorkers because they should expect more from me, which was inappropriate."
Investigations and federal indictment
On November 12, 2023, The New York Times reported that an FBI investigation into Adams was related in part to an alleged influence by the Turkish government to have its consulate in a Manhattan building approved by New York City authorities without a fire inspection. In September 2024, a series of investigations into Adams's administration emerged. On September 25, 2024, Adams was indicted on federal charges. He is the first mayor in New York City history to be charged with federal crimes while in office. On September 26, the case was unsealed, revealing the five charges: bribery, conspiracy, fraud, and two counts of soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations. The allegations for which Adams was indicted date back to 2014, when he was still Brooklyn Borough President. Adams is accused of receiving luxury travel and other benefits from Turkish individuals, namely a government official and several businessmen. This included Adams pressuring the New York City Fire Department to open a Turkish consular building without a fire inspection. Allegedly, in order to cover up his misconduct, Adams created and instructed others to make false paper trails indicating he actually paid for these trips in full.
The indictment also notes that Turkish officials pressed a staffer for assurances that Adams would boycott 2022 commemorations of the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, in line with Turkey's official policy of Armenian genocide denial, and that Adams appeared to comply with the request. The indictment states:
On April 21, 2022, the Turkish official messaged the Adams staffer, noting that Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day was approaching, and repeatedly asked the Adams staffer for assurances that Adams would not make any statement about the Armenian Genocide ... The Adams staffer confirmed that Adams would not make a statement about the Armenian Genocide. Adams did not make such a statement.
Adams was arraigned in federal court on September 27, entering a plea of not guilty. The same day, U.S. Representative Jerry Nadler, the dean of the New York Democratic House delegation, called for Adams to resign. As of September 2024, 15 Democratic state and local leaders, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of the Bronx, had also called for his resignation. Some elected officials called for New York Governor Kathy Hochul to remove Adams from office.
2025 mayoral campaign
In the midst of his legal troubles, Adams announced he would run for reelection. Adams faced multiple challengers in the Democratic primary, and his approval rating was low. On April 3, 2025, Adams announced that he would exit the Democratic primary and instead run in the general election as an independent. Adams acknowledged that he did not have a realistic path to victory if he continued to seek the Democratic Party line. Adams is the first incumbent mayor to seek re-election without the nomination of either major party since John Lindsay in 1969; Lindsay lost the Republican nomination, but ran and won on the Liberal Party line. As of June 2025, Adams remains a registered Democrat.
Adams circulated petitions to run on an "EndAntiSemitism" ballot line and a "Safe&Affordable" ballot line. However, the Board of Elections has limited candidates to one ballot line under state election law. On September 28, 2025, Adams withdrew his candidacy for the general election, although his name remained on the ballot. On October 23, 2025, Adams endorsed Andrew Cuomo after appearing at a New York Knicks game alongside Cuomo.
Post-mayoral career
In January 2026, Adams launched the "NYC Token" cryptocurrency. Adams stated that it was "built to fight the rapid spread of antisemitism and anti-Americanism." NYC Token rapidly reached a market capitalization of $600 million, before plummeting in value after an account affiliated with the token's launch withdrew about $2.5 million in early proceeds. The token was described as a rug pull. The team behind NYC Token said that the withdrawal of $2.5 million was intended to "rebalance the liquidity" of the cryptocurrency and claimed that they had not withdrawn any money from their account. $1.5 million was returned on January 13, with $1 million left unaccounted for.
Personal life
Adams has never been married. He has a son, Jordan Coleman, with former girlfriend Chrisena Coleman. His son is a graduate of American University, and is a filmmaker and television actor. Adams is currently in a relationship with Tracey Collins, the Senior Youth Development Director for the New York City Department of Education. Adams earned the nickname "Nightlife Mayor" due to his penchant for frequently clubbing in the city on Friday and Saturday nights.
Adams is a non-denominational Christian. In September 2023, along with New York City Police Commissioner Edward Caban, Adams became a Prince Hall Freemason as well as a 32nd Degree Member of the Scottish Rite. He has cited Mahatma Gandhi as an inspiration.
Adams frequently refers to himself in the third person.
Plant-based diet
In 2016, Adams switched to a plant-based diet after his diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. Adams researched alternatives to lifelong insulin injections and sought opinions of physicians including Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr. of the Cleveland Clinic. Adams made lifestyle changes to treat his diabetes. He switched to a whole food plant-based diet, removing animal products, processed sugar, salt, oil, and processed starches. He also began exercising regularly, using an exercise bike and treadmill in his office. Within six months, he lost 30 lb (14 kg), reversed his diabetes, and reduced his blood pressure and cholesterol levels. He has said that he wants to encourage others to switch to a healthier diet, and that some of the public health spending for diabetes should go toward lifestyle changes rather than treating disease. In February 2022, after several accounts surfaced of Adams eating fish in public, questions emerged about whether Adams was truly a vegan. He responded that while he follows a plant-based diet, "I am perfectly imperfect and have occasionally eaten fish."
In October 2020, Adams published the plant-based advocacy cookbook, Healthy at Last: A Plant-Based Approach to Preventing and Reversing Diabetes and Other Chronic Illnesses, which also chronicles his health journey. He was also a contributor to the 2021 anthology Brotha Vegan: Black Men Speak on Food, Identity, Health, and Society. In Healthy at Last, he wrote that he initially followed his doctor's orders for taking medication before later switching to a plant-based diet with a doctor's consultation. However, in the 2023 Netflix documentary You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment, Adams claimed never to have used the medication. He also endorsed not taking medication that a doctor recommends in favor of the pure plant-based diet.
Sexual assault lawsuit
On November 22, 2023, a Florida woman filed a sexual assault lawsuit against Adams under the New York Adult Survivors Act. On March 18, 2024, a legal complaint related to the lawsuit was filed, alleging that in 1993, Adams drove the woman, who at the time had recently been passed over for a promotion, to a vacant lot, where he then asked her for oral sex in exchange for career advancement. The complaint also alleges that when the woman refused, Adams forced her to touch his penis and ejaculated on her leg. In addition to sexual assault, the lawsuit also includes counts of battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, gender discrimination, retaliation and sexual harassment. On March 19, Adams denied the accusation, claiming he had conducted himself with dignity during his 40 years in public life.
Albanian citizenship
On April 10, 2026, president Bajram Begaj granted Adams honorary Albanian citizenship. Adams had previously traveled to Albania in October 2025 to meet with prime minister Edi Rama.
Published works
Don't Let It Happen. Xulon Press. 2009. ISBN 978-1607919858.
Healthy at Last: A Plant-Based Approach to Preventing and Reversing Diabetes and Other Chronic Illnesses. Hay House. 2020. ISBN 978-1401960568.