After months, if not years, of swirling rumors and strident denials, federal prosecutors last week brought the legal hammer down on New York City Mayor Eric Adams, accusing hizzoner of extensive public corruption stretching back at least a decade. Under growing pressure to resign, Adams has strenuously professed his innocence in the lead-up to last week’s federal indictment. After vowing to fight the charges with “every ounce of my strength, and my spirit,” Adams pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan courthouse on Friday, urging New Yorkers to “wait to hear our defense.”
Despite Adams’ predictions of exoneration and redemption, there remains a very real chance that the first-term mayor will not complete his time in office before the mayoral election scheduled for next November. With that looming possibility in mind, control of the largest city in the country will fall to Jumaane Williams, New York’s public advocate since 2019. As second in New York’s line of succession, public advocate is not only a non-voting member of the city council, but serves as “ombudsman for city government, providing oversight for city agencies, investigating citizens’ complaints about city services and making proposals to address perceived shortcomings or failures of those services,” said NYC.gov. Should Williams replace Adams mid-term, his mayoral powers would be truncated, and he would be required to hold a special election for the position within 80 days.
So who is Jumaane Williams, the man who could become New York City’s next mayor?
A ‘self-described activist-politician’
While a relatively unknown name outside of New York City, Jumaane Williams has been a fixture of Gotham politics for nearly 15 years, first serving as a city council member in 2010 before successfully running to become public advocate in 2019. A progressive Democrat, Williams has been supported by the Working Families Party and has roots in community organizing, including a turn as Executive Director of NYS Tenants & Neighbors where he “fought for affordable, income-targeted housing across New York City and state,” said NBC New York. During his time on the city council Williams “focused on initiatives geared toward police reform and combating gun violence,” said The Washington Examiner. His connection to the Black Lives Matter movement, including participating in BLM-associated protests, has “caused some citizens to be concerned about his stance on the NYPD.”
As a city councilor, Williams led the effort to pass the Fair Chance Act, making it illegal for employers to discriminate against potential hires based on that person’s criminal history. The law, Williams said, ensures that “all New Yorkers, including those with convictions for previous mistakes, will have an equal opportunity to compete for jobs that they qualify for.”
Williams is also an “outspoken mental health advocate” who has been “open about his personal struggles with Tourette’s syndrome and ADHD,” CBS News said. Despite “dealing with challenges” from his dual diagnoses, the “self-described activist-politician” earned his Master’s degree from Brooklyn College, said the New York Post.
‘I have always been prepared’
Although next in line for the mayorship, “for some time, [Williams] has had his eye on the gubernatorial office,” Patch said. “In 2018, he ran for lieutenant governor on Cynthia Nixon’s ticket, but lost to Kathy Hochul and Andrew Cuomo. Then, in 2021, he ran for New York governor but lost the primary to Kathy Hochul.”
Williams and Adams “clashed earlier this year over a police reform bill” which Adams ultimately vetoed, prompting Williams to label the mayor a “fearmonger,” Fox News said. Despite their differences, however, Williams has stressed Adams’ presumption of innocence. However, Adams “should really put out a plan” for how he intends to lead the city and regain public confidence during this crisis, Williams said to Fox5 New York.
“I’ve ran for every job that I’ve wanted to run for,” Williams said. “I knew this was a possibility when I got elected [public advocate] but it’s not something I want to have to happen, because that means there’s been some chaotic times in New York City.”
“I have always been prepared to do the job I applied for,” said Williams. “Being Public Advocate means you have to be ready in case something happens.”