Mayor Eric Adams delivered his reelection year State of the City address on Thursday. The speech focused on reminding New Yorkers of his purported policy wins over the past three years and rolling out new proposals to tackle some of the Big Apple’s most pressing challenges.
The annual speech, which Adams delivered at Harlem’s historic Apollo Theater on Jan. 9, doubled as the unofficial launch of his reelection bid in what is shaping up to be a competitive and crowded June Democratic primary race.
Adams sought to remind voters why they should give him another four years at City Hall. His mayoralty has been dogged by a historic federal indictment, a slew of high-level resignations, and record-low poll numbers.
Hizzoner’s roughly hour-long speech focused on making New York City the best place to raise a family. Throughout the address, he pledged to double down on prioritizing public safety and affordability while also addressing the city’s housing shortage.
“No matter what challenges we face, I promise you this: No one will fight harder for your family than I will,” Adams said. “Today, I want to talk about how we can make New York City the best place to raise a family: the safest place to raise a family, the most affordable place to raise a family, and the most welcoming place to raise a family.”
Much of New York’s political class, including pols, business leaders and union bosses attended the speech. The crowd was made up of both Adams’ allies, such as state Sen. Leroy Comrie (D-Queens), and his adversaries, such as Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.
The mayor started off by touting what he sees as his successes since taking office in 2022 — including drops in shootings and murders, a push to place all of the city’s trash in lidded containers, and the passage of his City of Yes plan to build 82,000 units of housing over the next 15 years. He also pointed to breaking “records” in areas like private sector job growth and creating new public spaces.
Furthermore, Adams unveiled plans to invest in youth programs designed to curb youth violence, earmark $650 million over five years to tackle homelessness on the city’s streets and subways, and change zoning rules to build housing specifically for families.
The $650 million for combating homelessness will go toward adding 900 new so-called Safe Haven beds, building a new facility specifically for helping homeless individuals people with serious mental illness, and a pilot program to connect expectant parents to permanent housing.
“We are making a new commitment to our families: no child should ever be born in our shelter system,” Adams said. “Subways, serious mental illness, and shelters: that is how we make a renewed commitment to tackling street homelessness.”
Primary opponents respond
But the mayor’s primary opponents wasted no time in tearing his address to shreds.
One of those challengers, City Comptroller Brad Lander, portrayed the mayor’s speech as nothing more than posturing. He contended the city was far worse off under Adams’ mayoralty and desperately needed new leadership.
“New Yorkers know that our city is neither safer nor more affordable,” Lander said. “New Yorkers want honest, effective leadership, not pomp and circumstance and empty promises. They want a Mayor who is focused on their problems, not his own.”
Another Adams opponent, Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani (D-Queens), took a similar tone. Mamdani blasted the mayor over his repeated wide-ranging budget cuts to city agencies and his appointment of a Rent Guidelines Board that has raised rents on stabilized tenants for the past three years.
“Today’s empty rhetoric will not distract New Yorkers from the truth: Mayor Adams has failed our city,” Mamdani said. “Adams has repeatedly prioritized his own narrow interests and the interests of his wealthiest donors – not the working people who elected him.”
