Eric Adams. Photo: Spencer Platt / Getty Images
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams won the Democratic primary for New York City mayor on Tuesday evening, AP reports.
The big picture Adams, a retired police captain, was the perceived front-runner in the race. If he wins the general election, he will become New York City's second-ever Black mayor.
- Amid a spike in big-city crime, Democrats say it's no coincidence that Adams ran against defunding the police.
What he's saying: "While there are still some very small amounts of votes to be counted, the results are clear: an historic, diverse, five-borough coalition led by working class New Yorkers has led us to victory in the Democratic primary for Mayor of New York City," Adams said in a statement on Tuesday.
State of play: Adams modeled himself as a moderate Democrat and promised to strike a balance between fighting crime and ending unjust and racist policing practices, per AP.
- He became a police officer in 1984 and helped co-found 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care, "a group that campaigned for criminal justice reform and against racial profiling," reports AP.
- He was elected Brooklyn borough president in 2013.
Context: New York City's first election using a ranked choice voting system was thrown into disarray when 135,000 test ballots were counted along with the actual ballots, resulting in the front-runner's significant lead being cut.
- The error appeared to "confirm worries" that the board, which is run by Republicans and Democrats, "was unprepared to implement the new system," per AP.
What's next: Adams will face off against Republican Curtis Sliwa in November's general election, per CNBC.
- Sliwa is the founder of Guardian Angels, "a group of self-appointed crime fighters," reports the New York Times.
- Adams is the clear favorite to win the general election, per AP.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with Adam's statement.