What happens if NYC Mayor Adams resigns, is forced out: Line of succession explained
The Brief
Adams could resign, though he remains adamant about staying in office, or be forced to step down by Hochul and what's known as an 'inability committee.'
The committee would consist of the corporation counsel, Brad Lander, the City Council speaker (Adrienne Adams), a deputy mayor and the borough president with the longest consecutive tenure (currently Queens Borough President Donovan Richards), all of whom have called for Adams to consider stepping aside.
If a new mayor replaced Adams through a special election, their term would be brief, as mayoral primaries are set for June 2025, with the election in November 2025.
NEW YORK - New York Gov. Kathy Hochul held a meeting in Manhattan amid growing calls for embattled NYC Mayor Eric Adams to resign after four of his senior deputies stepped down.
This is the latest fallout from the Justice Department's push to end his corruption case.
Adams could resign, though he remains adamant about staying in office, or be forced to step down by Hochul and what's known as an 'inability committee,' after months of investigations and indictments within his administration.
Several steps would play out if Adams were to leave office, as laid out by THE CITY.
SKIP TO: NYC Voting | Inability commission | Who's running for mayor?
Local perspective
If Adams were to leave office on or after March 26, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams would take over until a new mayor is voted on at the Nov. 4, 2025 election, after also having run in the primary election.
If Williams were somehow unable to act as mayor, then Brad Lander, the city's comptroller (who is running against Mayor Adams in 2025), would be next in line.
Only two New York City mayors have resigned in history: Jimmy Walker in 1932 and William O'Dwyer in 1950.
Since the deadline to fill the vacancy in this year's Nov. 5th General Election has passed, a special election will likely be held.
If the vacancy occurs before March 26, a special election must be called for the first Tuesday at least 80 days after the vacancy, with some flexibility for the acting mayor to adjust the date, and it would be a nonpartisan primary using ranked choice voting.
According to the New York City Charter, Gov. Kathy Hochul has the power to remove Adams from office "upon charges."
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo was pressured to remove then-mayor Bill de Blasio for his handling of the pandemic and his run for president, but he did not do so.
Section 9. Removal of mayor:The mayor may be removed from office by the governor upon charges and after service upon him of a copy of the charges and an opportunity to be heard in his defense. Pending the preparation and disposition of charges, the governor may suspend the mayor for a period not exceeding thirty days.
The likely option for forcing the mayor out would be what's called an "inability committee," which would seek to determine the mayor's inability to serve.
Dig deeper
According to THE CITY, the committee would consist of the corporation counsel, Brad Lander, the City Council speaker (Adrienne Adams), a deputy mayor chosen by the current mayor (in this case, Adams), and the borough president with the longest consecutive tenure (currently Queens Borough President Donovan Richards) all of whom have called for Adams to consider stepping aside.
According to Section 8 of the Charter, the committee would vote on a City Council panel, which would then vote to "discharge the powers and duties of the office of mayor."
If a new mayor replaced Adams through a special election, their term would be brief, as mayoral primaries are set for June 2025, with the election in November 2025.
Williams and whoever wins the special election would still be eligible to run.
Embattled, incumbent mayor Adams is currently facing an uphill political challenge as his approval rating heads downhill.
Historically, no incumbent mayor has lost a primary election in nearly 50 years, adding pressure on Adams as voter discontent grows.
It's unclear whether Adams would be able to run for mayor if he is removed by Gov. Hochul. According to the City Charter, the text does not explicitly state whether a mayor who has been removed from office is barred from running for election again.
What we don't know
It primarily outlines the process for removal, succession, and special elections in case of a vacancy but does not address eligibility for future elections.
What you can do
Here's a quick look at the key candidates vying for mayor in 2025:
Brad Lander
Jessica Ramos
Whitney Tilson
Zellnor Myrie
Zohran Mamdani
Scott Stringer
Michael Blake
Jim Walden
Why you should care:
In ranked choice voting, you can rank up to 5 candidates.
First Round: If a candidate gets over 50%, they win.
No Majority? The lowest-ranked candidate is eliminated, and their votes go to voters' next choices.
Repeat: This continues until two candidates remain, and the one with the most votes wins.
Results are final only after all ballots (including absentee) are counted. For the June 27 Primary, ranked-choice voting will be used for City Council races.
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