NYC Mayor Eric Adams kicks off reelection bid and casts Zohran Mamdani as having a 'silver spoon'

NEW YORK (AP) — New York Mayor Eric Adams set out Thursday to persuade skeptical voters to grant him a second term, hosting a kickoff event for his independent reelection bid after a corruption indictment, a controversial dismissal and a decision to drop out of a the Democratic primary.

On the steps of City Hall, Adams rattled off his political accomplishments while punctuating his speech with barbs for the expected Democratic nominee, Zohran Mamdani, casting the young liberal as a child of privilege with no real political achievements or realistic policies.

“This election is a choice between a candidate with a blue collar" and one with a “silver spoon," Adams said.

“A choice between dirty fingernails and manicured nails," he added.

Two days ago, progressive upstart Mamdani declared a stunning Democratic primary victory over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the presumed favorite despite a sexual harassment scandal that forced him from office four years ago.

Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist in his third term in the state Assembly, was virtually unknown just months ago but has since skyrocketed to political stardom. His energetic campaign, known for its viral social media videos, has won major momentum through a laser-focus on improving the city's astronomical cost of living.

At the same time, Mamdani has endured heat for his past criticisms of law enforcement, thin legislative record and lofty campaign promises.

Adams, even with all his political baggage, has seemed to relish a general election matchup with Mamdani, seeing a potentially viable lane to reelection if he goes up against the relatively inexperienced progressive.

“I’m not interested in Twitter politics, I'm interested in getting the trash picked up," Adams told his supporters Thursday, digging at Mamdani. "I’m not interested in slogans, I’m interested in solutions.”

Adams, still a registered Democrat, pulled out of the primary to run as an independent candidate in April, shortly after a federal judge dismissed the corruption case against him at the request of President Donald Trump's Justice Department. The mayor had argued that the legal saga had sidelined him from the campaign trail. He has done little in the way of campaigning since then.

But as the results in Tuesday’s primary were coming in, showing Mamdani with a commanding position, Adams underscored his own independent run with a post on social media that “the fight for New York’s future begins tonight.”

Results will be finalized after the city’s ranked choice vote-counting resumes July 1, and the winner advances to November’s election against candidates including Republican Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels anti-crime group.

Adams, 64, is a retired police captain who later became a state senator and Brooklyn’s borough president. He presents himself as a champion of working-class New York, public safety and an upbeat, self-believing attitude he calls “swagger” — the kind of drive that propelled a house-cleaner’s son to become the second Black mayor of the nation’s most populous metropolis.

Mamdani is the son of an award-winning filmmaker and an anthropology professor at Columbia University. He graduated from a private liberal arts college, worked as a foreclosure prevention counselor and had a side-hustle as a rapper before first being elected to the New York Assembly in 2020.

In a statement Thursday, Mamdani said: “New Yorkers have been suffocated by a cost of living crisis and this Mayor has taken almost every opportunity to exacerbate it, all while partnering with Donald Trump to tear our city apart.”

Democratic nominees generally enjoy strong tailwinds in a city where about two-thirds of registered voters are Democrats. But New Yorkers elected an unaffiliated mayor as recently as 2009, when incumbent Mike Bloomberg won a third term after leaving the Republican Party.

The big question for Adams: whether he can overcome his shaky standing with voters.

He has no shortage of detractors.

Protesters frequently interrupted his reelection rally on Thursday, chanting from a nearby park. As Adams stepped behind a podium and readied himself to deliver remarks, a protester emerged just feet away, yelling at the mayor. He was swiftly removed. Almost immediately after, another protester appeared, calling the mayor a “criminal” before he too was removed.

Still, Adams might have a chance to woo moderate and business-focused Cuomo supporters who are uneasy about Mamdani. The incumbent's campaign event featured faith leaders, some of whom delivered remarks before Adams, and was attended by some former elected officials.

Cuomo himself is mulling an independent campaign that would put him on the general election ballot as well.

This story has been corrected to show that Adams said he is “not interested in Twitter politics,” not that he is ”not interesting in Twitter politics."

Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, left, speaks on stage with fellow candidate Comptroller Brad Lander at his primary election party, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

Protesters shout as New York Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a campaign launch rally at City Hall, Thursday, June. 26, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

A protester is detained by New York Police officers as New York Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a campaign launch rally at City Hall, Thursday, June. 26, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

New York Mayor Eric Adams reacts as he speaks during a campaign launch rally at City Hall, Thursday, June. 26, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

New York Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a campaign launch rally at City Hall, Thursday, June. 26, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

For a third consecutive year, there is no clear choice for the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP, and again the debate over the importance of “valuable” comes into play.

Edmonton’s Connor McDavid is on track to win the scoring race for the most points and the Art Ross Trophy, while Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon has the inside track for the league lead in goals. Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov is more than 40 points clear of his next-closest teammate and could be a Hart finalist for a second consecutive year.

AP Hockey Writers John Wawrow and Stephen Whyno give their predictions on who should take home all the major awards, which are based on how players performed during the regular season:

BetMGM Sportsbook favorite: Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado

Wawrow: Nikita Kucherov. As much as McDavid and MacKinnon deserve consideration, and maybe Montreal's Nick Suzuki merits mention, Kucherov did more with less on a Tampa Bay team that proved immune to the shakeup that turned the Atlantic Division upside down.

Whyno: McDavid. There's an argument to be made for Kucherov, given where the Lightning could be without him after a season full of injuries. But McDavid carried the Oilers down the stretch after Leon Draisaitl got injured, and he should add a fourth MVP honor to his impressive resume that is missing only the Stanley Cup.

BetMGM Sportsbook favorite: Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay

Wawrow: Vasilevskiy. The numbers simply speak for themselves. Leading the league with 39 wins, no goalie had a better goals-against average and save percentage playing 50 or more games this season.

Whyno: Vasilevskiy. John and I are on the same wavelength here. With a nod to Utah's Karel Vejmelka for making more than 60 starts, no one has mixed a heavy workload with quality of play like Vasilevskiy, who has made the Cup Final four times, won it twice, but only won the Vezina once (2019).

BetMGM Sportsbook favorite: Zach Werenski, Columbus

Wawrow: Cale Makar, Colorado. A case could be made for Werenski over a ton of talent such as Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin and Minnesota’s Quinn Hughes. Makar, however, stands out for once again being the NHL’s most complete defenseman.

Whyno: Makar. Had Werenski on top for much of the year, but it was a rough second half for the 28-year-old since the Olympic break. Dallas' Miro Heiskanen deserves consideration, but Makar controlled the play for Colorado and only missed a handful of games because of injury.

BetMGM Sportsbook favorite: Matthew Schaefer, New York Islanders (off the board)

Wawrow: Schaefer. Montreal’s Ivan Demidov and Anaheim’s Beckett Sennecke might have more points, but no rookie played more valuable minutes than Schaefer, justifying his selection as a No. 1 pick.

Whyno: Schaefer could be unanimous. Even some of the best defensemen of this generation needed years to adapt to the learning curve at the position, and Schaefer did it perfectly at 18.

BetMGM Sportsbook favorite: N/A

Wawrow: Nick Suzuki, Montreal. With Aleksander Barkov injured, the field was wide open and Suzuki may run away with the honor. Though he is a secondary figure on the Canadiens' penalty kill, his 5-on-5 numbers and puck-possession metrics, while facing opposing top lines, are solid.

Whyno: Jordan Staal, Carolina. The team captain has consistently drawn tough defensive matchups and dominated on faceoffs and has only once been a Selke finalist. This should be his year.

BetMGM Sportsbook favorite: Lindy Ruff, Buffalo

Wawrow: Ruff. He found the elusive key to finally unlock the potential of a team that too often faltered under pressure, carrying over the lessons learned from his first season back in Buffalo. He did so with a game-at-a-time focus, a changing lineup and being Buffalo’s first coach during the team’s 14-season playoff drought to finally place an emphasis on improving locker room culture.

Whyno: Jon Cooper, Tampa Bay. Injuries and extended absences to key players, including Victor Hedman, Brayden Point, Anthony Cirelli and Ryan McDonagh, led the Lightning to dress 33 skaters and three goalies and showcased why Cooper is considered among the best in the business.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

FILE - Edmonton Oilers hockey player Connor McDavid poses with the Ted Lindsey Award, the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy, the Art Ross Trophy and the Hart Memorial Trophy at the NHL Awards, on June 26, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV, File)

FILE - Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon stands with his trophies as the recipient of the Hart Memorial Trophy, left, and Ted Lindsay Award at hockey's NHL Awards, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/L.E. Baskow, File)

FILE - Tampa Bay Lightning's Nikita Kucherov poses with, from left, the Ted Lindsay Award, Hart Memorial Trophy and the Art Ross Trophy after winning the honors at the NHL Awards, onJune 19, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)