As the New York City Mayor Adams faces federal indictment and increasing calls for his resignation, discussions have arisen on who might become the acting mayor of New York City.
The indictment unveiled on Wednesday detailed five charges, including illegal foreign campaign donations, wire fraud, and bribery during his tenures as Brooklyn Borough President and New York City Mayor.
Adams is the first sitting New York City Mayor to be indicted during his tenure.
On Wednesday evening (September 25) and Thursday morning, Adams publicly stated that he would defend himself and would not resign from his mayoral position.
However, an increasing number of elected officials, particularly Democratic lawmakers, are calling for Adams to step down, including City Comptroller Brad Lander, Congresswomen AOC and Nydia Velázquez, State Assembly Members Grace Lee and Phara Souffrant Forrest, State Senators John Liu and Yuh-Line Niou, City Council Members Tiffany Caban, and moderate Democratic City Council Member Robert Holden.
In contrast to the unified condemnation from Democratic legislators, Republican elected officials have largely remained silent on Adams’ federal indictment.
So, if Adams were to resign on his own or be removed from office by the Governor, who would become the acting mayor? According to the New York City Charter, the Public Advocate of New York City would step in as the acting mayor to oversee the city.
The current Public Advocate of New York City is Jumaane Williams. He served as a City Council Member for the 45th District in Brooklyn from 2010 to 2019. Williams is considered a progressive Democratic politician, advocating for tenant and minority interests, supporting defunding the police, opposing solitary confinement in prisons, and stop-and-frisk policies. His latest endorsed bill requires police officers to document detailed forms for all street interrogations.
Another significant label attached to Williams is his involvement in anti-police protests during the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement, leading to multiple arrests. He also made headlines for living in a military base with 24-hour security while simultaneously opposing the police.
According to Williams’ public advocacy website, despite facing challenges of Tourette syndrome and ADHD, Williams earned a master’s degree from Brooklyn College.
Williams ran for Governor in the Democratic primary in 2022 and for Lieutenant Governor in 2018, both ending in defeat. He was elected as the Public Advocate of New York City in 2021.
The Public Advocate’s office was established in 1993, serving as a watchdog agency overseeing the government and aiding citizens in municipal complaints and inquiries. Some lawmakers have proposed abolishing the Public Advocate’s office, deeming it a waste of taxpayer funds.
If Adams announces his resignation during his term, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams would become the acting mayor of New York City. Within 80 days of his assumption of office, a non-partisan special election would be held, with the results determined by ranked-choice voting.