Public Advocate Jumaane Williams made headlines on Tuesday as he officially endorsed City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Comptroller Brad Lander as his primary choices in the upcoming 2025 New York City mayoral race. At a press conference held in City Hall Park on May 27, Williams declared a co-number one endorsement for both Adams and Lander, expressing enthusiasm for their established leadership in the city.
Williams is set to announce his third, fourth, and fifth ranked-choice endorsements in the days leading up to the June 24 primary. He encouraged voters to utilize the ranked-choice system fully to ensure their preferences are expressed.
During the press conference, Williams emphasized the importance of elevating all candidates in the race. When asked if Lander was initially his sole choice, he explained that he had always intended to support both candidates, but expanded his endorsements after Adams joined the race in March.
He explained, “We said, let’s figure out how best to elevate everyone, and particularly how best to use ranked-choice voting so that Andrew Cuomo is not the mayor.” Williams took the opportunity to highlight his concerns about the prospect of a Cuomo mayoralty, criticizing the former governor for bringing back elements of leadership that he believes have failed.
“I’m very concerned for a Cuomo mayoralty, bringing back something that didn’t work the first time and had to leave to replace something that’s not working now,” Williams remarked. He underscored the necessity of having leaders who have remained committed to New Yorkers through challenging times.
Williams praised both Adams and Lander specifically for their stances on affordability, public safety, and honest governance. He pointedly criticized the current mayor, Eric Adams, for purportedly failing New Yorkers and for overseeing unyielding rent increases recently proposed by the Rent Guidelines Board, which Williams attributes to the Mayor’s appointed group.
In contrast, he commended Speaker Adams and Comptroller Lander for their long-standing commitment to making New York affordable and serving as true advocates for working-class residents. “They’ve been doing the work, on the ground. They are what New York needs,” he asserted.
Lander, reflecting on his collaboration with Williams, highlighted their shared history of advocating for tenant protections and criminal justice reform during their tenure together in the City Council. He stated, “We fought for tenants’ rights over and over … and we worked together to pass the Community Safety Act to dramatically reduce stop-and-frisk.”
Speaker Adams resonated with Lander’s sentiments, asserting that her campaign is deeply rooted in her lived experiences as a mother, grandmother, and lifelong New Yorker. “I legislate the way that I live,” she stated, insisting that New Yorkers deserve a mayor who embodies integrity and transparency without the drama, trauma, scandals, or corruption that have plagued prior administrations.
The backdrop of Williams’ endorsements comes amid growing momentum for Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani in the mayoral race. An internal poll conducted by Workbench Strategy for the Mamdani campaign revealed Cuomo leading with 40% of first-choice support, followed by Mamdani at 27%. Meanwhile, other candidates polled below 10% in the survey which included 500 likely Democratic primary voters from May 14 to May 18.
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