Adrienne Adams spent eight years within the New York Metropolis Council, almost 4 of them as speaker, the primary African American to have that position. It was a journey that would have led to the mayor’s workplace, however as the first turned out to be a contest between former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and then-state lawmaker Zohran Mamdani, her tenure within the chamber ended with time period limits. On the time, she stated she would give attention to what would come subsequent for her, however she didn’t have a solution. “I’ve to only exhale and are available again to myself with out the title in entrance of my title. I’ve acquired to get again to Adrienne,” stated Adams in a December interview with the AmNews. “After which, once I reemerge, what I proceed to say is that I’m wanting ahead to the subsequent good thing, no matter it could be.”
That reemergence has come ahead of anticipated.
In her reelection bid, Gov. Kathy Hochul chosen Adams as her operating mate, and in a brand new interview with the AmNews, she says she feels snug, prepared, and excited.
“We now have some superb management on the market in the case of mayors and even governors now, in the case of girls’s management. So, sure, that is impactful, and I imagine that Governor Hochul and I’ll proceed that. We’ll create much more of that influence by making this historical past for the State of New York,” stated Adams.
Presently, there are a minimum of 4 states within the U.S. which have had all-woman gubernatorial tickets and have been profitable in getting elected: Massachusetts, Arkansas, Virginia, and Iowa. To date, Hochul and Adams have obtained important assist from political allies, like state Democratic Occasion Chair Jay S. Jacobs, NYS Lawyer Common Letitia James, and Mamdani himself.
A Queens native and lifelong resident, Adams loved an extended profession of firsts. She was first elected to District 28 in Queens in 2017, changing into the primary girl to carry that seat, and made historical past in 2022 when she was elected as speaker.
“One in every of my good girlfriends stated to me, ‘You realize one thing, Adrienne, you solely do firsts,’” she continued. “In all of my accomplishments and feeling so good about my profession as a public servant, I used to be actually completely happy simply to say toodles. After which that decision got here from the Governor of the State of New York.”
Adams acquired to know and work with Hochul lengthy earlier than her profession in authorities. They first met when Hochul was a lieutenant governor for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and he or she was a chairperson of Group Board 12 in Southeast Queens in 2012. “We’ve had an amazing rapport through the years. Evidently, with me as speaker, we continued that relationship,” stated Adams.
Contributed by Hochul’s marketing campaign
Main to date
It’s no secret that there’s been some instability with the earlier lieutenant governors Hochul has chosen up to now.
Harlem’s former Sen. Brian Benjamin served as Hochul’s first lieutenant governor, however was compelled to resign as he battled federal fraud expenses in court docket in 2022. These expenses have been later thrown out by a federal decide later that 12 months, however the harm had been executed to his political profession. To switch Benjamin, Hochul introduced in former Congressmember Antonio Delgado from Schenectady. He was the state’s first Afro-Latino within the position and served with Hochul till 2024. The primary rift between him and Hochul grew to become obvious when Delgado known as for former President Joe Biden to finish his presidential marketing campaign in opposition to then-candidate Donald Trump.
Delgado suspended his personal marketing campaign for Governor in February 2026.
Adams is assured that she and Hochul are on the identical web page due to their years of friendship in authorities. “The advantage of our partnership is that we’re no strangers to one another. Her priorities are my priorities,” she stated. “Being a mom and a grandmother, we’re coming from the identical place and wanting to guard our households and households throughout the state of New York, one thing that each of us have all the time executed as leaders.”
The 2-woman ticket has hit the marketing campaign path, visiting the state’s 62 counties in an effort to attach with voters.
“Each county has its personal attribute, and each county is completely different. There isn’t a monolith. There are specific pockets…upstate which might be crimson, and even downstate,” stated Adams. “In all places has its personal dynamic, the place all people doesn’t suppose the identical, doesn’t stroll the identical, doesn’t speak the identical, doesn’t act the identical, however it’s all of this that makes us the distinctive state that we’re. And I’m actually wanting ahead to getting on the market, to those county festivals, to those superb fundraisers, to those occasions, to get to know the traits and the characters that make up upstate New York.”
Earlier in March, Adams was noticed within the Lengthy Island village of Hempstead, a primarily Black and Brown working-class space, which can be essential to the election. Together with Mayor Waylyn Hobbs Jr., she spoke to small enterprise house owners concerning the impacts of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) in Nassau County. Restaurateurs complained that ICE’s presence diminished foot site visitors and scared away clients.
Adams talked about that her safety element has elevated on the marketing campaign path, however she’s by no means a stranger to vitriol, particularly since her run for mayor with an enormous roster of candidates in opposition to former Mayor Eric Adams in March 2025. She misplaced the June main to then-Assemblymember Mamdani. “With the place comes some very unsavory characters that don’t such as you for the colour of your pores and skin, for the issues that they imagine that you just symbolize, although they’ve by no means met you and by no means will in life,” stated Adams.
She’s working to spotlight Hochul’s achievements, like her struggle to decrease prices for New Yorkers, property tax reliefs, funding for childcare, investing in public security, eradicating unlawful weapons off of streets, and standing as much as Trump. Regarding the ongoing state and metropolis funds debate over Mamdani’s proposed tax hike on the wealthy, Adams stated that their staff intends to foster a very good relationship with him and the town.
“That is the primary time in a very long time — imagine me, I’ve lived this work — that the governor and the mayor, and hopefully the town council, can be on the identical web page, working extra collaboratively than ever earlier than. That’s what the governor’s executed up to now, and that is what the governor goes to do sooner or later,” stated Adams.
The ticket is the clear frontrunner within the June 23 Democratic main, with no important challenges. With a win, they might face the GOP main winner between Republican Nassau County Govt Bruce Blakeman and businessman Larry Sharpe within the Nov. 3 basic election.
