Ex-policeman Adams leads in NYC mayoral primary

NEW YORK (Reuters) — Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, a former police captain who put public safety at the center of his campaign for New York City mayor, was leading a field of 13 Democratic candidates in Tuesday’s primary election, though the outcome likely won’t be known for weeks.

With 90 percent of the in-person votes counted, Adams had been picked as the top choice on 31 percent of ballots. But with at least 87,000 absentee ballots yet to be processed, and a new ranked-choice voting system in place, final results are not expected until mid-July at the earliest.

In remarks to supporters, Adams acknowledged the campaign was far from over.

“But there’s something else we know: that New York City said ‘Our first choice is Eric Adams’” he said.

The winner of Tuesday’s Democratic contest to succeed term-limited Mayor Bill de Blasio will be an overwhelming favorite in November’s general election, given the city’s heavily Democratic lean.

Tuesday’s totals were enough to force a concession from former presidential candidate Andrew Yang, who was in a distant fourth place.

Speaking to supporters less than two hours after polls closed, Yang, an entrepreneur whose surprisingly durable presidential run made him a national figure, said the vote count made it clear he could not prevail.

“I am a numbers guy,” said Yang, once seen as the front-runner. “And I am not going to be the next mayor of New York City based on upon the numbers that have come in tonight.”

The race appeared to have narrowed to a trio of candidates, all vying for the chance to lead the country’s most populous city in its arduous recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. Maya Wiley, the former MSNBC analyst and civil rights lawyer who emerged as the leading liberal candidate, was in second place with 22 percent. Kathryn Garcia, a former sanitation chief who campaigned as an experienced technocrat, was at 20 percent.

The primary contest is the city’s first mayoral campaign to use ranked-choice voting, in which voters can rank up to five candidates in order of preference.

Tuesday’s results only reflected the top choices for voters who cast ballots in person.

Voters also were choosing among eight Democratic candidates seeking to replace retiring Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. The nominee, who will be all but guaranteed to win November’s general election, would inherit Vance’s criminal probe into former President Donald Trump’s business empire.

The next mayor will confront deep challenges, including wealth inequality, police accountability, a lack of affordable housing and a struggling tourism industry.

The unusually fluid campaign was dominated by the issue of crime, as the city confronts a surge in shootings amid an ongoing national debate over policing. The election’s outcome could help show where Democratic voters stand on the topic ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.