Key Developments

Adams’ campaign attorney, Vito Pitta, has confirmed the mayor is actively gathering signatures to establish these additional ballot lines. To make this possible, he must collect 3,750 valid voter signatures for each line by May 27.

Ezra Friedlander, a political consultant from the Orthodox Jewish community, commented that Adams “deserves our praise, full stop” regarding his stance against antisemitism. The mayor has maintained robust support from Orthodox Jewish voters since his narrow victory in the 2021 Democratic primary.

Background and Context

In a recent announcement, Mayor Adams declared his decision to run as an independent candidate instead of seeking the Democratic Party’s nomination for mayor. He stated, “Today, although I am still a Democrat, I am announcing that I will forgo the Democratic primary for mayor and appeal directly to all New Yorkers as an independent candidate in the general election,” in a message shared on social media.

This shift follows a court ruling that dismissed a corruption indictment against him, allowing him greater political flexibility.

The new ballot lines also serve a strategic purpose, setting Adams apart from Andrew Cuomo, who is emphasizing antisemitism in his own mayoral campaign and has referred to it as “the most serious and important issue” he aims to address.

Political Strategy

In New York, candidates have the option to run under multiple party lines, with all votes from different lines being aggregated. Initially, Adams considered a ballot line titled “Safe Street, Affordable City.” However, due to city election board regulations limiting names to 15 characters, the names were adjusted to “Safe&Affordable” and “EndAntiSemitism,” each precisely 15 characters long.

Response from Opponents

In response to Adams’ campaign moves, Cuomo’s team emphasized his record in combating antisemitism, showcasing an interview they conducted on the subject with the Hasidic news outlet Vos Iz Neias. “New Yorkers are smart,” said Cuomo campaign spokesperson Rich Azzopardi, “and they know Andrew Cuomo has the record and the experience to best fight this rise of antisemitic hate that has gripped this city.”