Who Becomes NYC Mayor If Eric Adams Is Removed From Office?

New York City’s embattled Democratic mayor, Eric Adams, appears adamant about staying in office as the dramatic saga around him unfolds, but he may not have the final say in the matter.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul, also a Democrat, has the power to remove Adams from his position as the mayor of the nation’s largest city — and raised the prospect of doing so Monday. Hochul was meeting with “key leaders,” including Rev. Al Sharpton, at her office in Manhattan on Tuesday to discuss “the path forward” for the city.

Hochul’s openness to do what has never been done before in New York — remove a democratically elected mayor by force — has ratcheted up an escalating crisis for Adams, who was charged with bribery, fraud and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations in September.

Then last week, the Justice Department moved to drop the case against the mayor. The fallout of that decision, believed to have been made at the highest levels of the Trump White House, led to a number of resignations in the Southern District of New York, the federal prosecutor’s office that handed down the indictment against Adams last September.

Among those resignations was Acting U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon, a Republican federal prosecutor who said Adams’ office offered the Trump White House a “quid pro quo” by helping the president with his immigration crackdown in exchange for a dismissal of the charges.

The blowback from the dismissal was fierce and immediate, stretching from SDNY to City Hall. Four of Adams’ senior deputies stepped down Monday, including his second-in command Maria Torres-Springer. Meera Joshi, the deputy mayor for operations, Anne Williams-Isom, the deputy mayor for health and human services, and Chauncey Parker, the deputy mayor for public safety, also stepped down, while Adrienne Adams, the speaker of the New York City Council, called on Adams to resign.

“Due to the extraordinary events of the last few weeks and to stay faithful to the oaths we swore to New Yorkers and their families, we have come to the difficult decision to step down from our roles,” three of the officials wrote in a joint statement after a tense meeting with the mayor.

What Has Hochul Said About Removing Adams?

Governor Hochul’s suggestion that she could take an unprecedented move to remove the sitting mayor referred to the claims made about his office’s deal with the Trump administration.

“Overturning the will of the voters is a serious step that should not be taken lightly,” Hochul said in a statement late Monday. “That said, the alleged conduct at City Hall that has been reported over the past two weeks is troubling and cannot be ignored.”

The governor added the recent resignations in Adams’ cabinet raise “serious questions about the long-term future of this mayoral administration.”

Who Would Replace Adams as Mayor?

Although ousting the mayor of New York City would be an unprecedented action, there is a line of succession outlined in Chapter 1, Section 10 of the New York City Charter.

First in line would be the public advocate, a role that Jumaane Williams has served in since 2019. Williams succeeded Letitia James, who left the office to become the New York state attorney general.

Second in line, if the public advocate’s office was vacant, would the city comptroller, a role held by Brad Lander, who has already launched a bid to challenge Adams in this year’s Democratic mayoral primary.

But because this is an election year, the process of replacing Adams is more complicated.

Jeffrey Kraus, a political science professor at Wagner College, told Newsweek that if the vacancy for the mayor’s office takes place within the next five weeks, before March 26, Williams would be required to call a special election to fill the remainder of the term through to the end of the year.

The special election, which would have to be held within 80 days, would be non-partisan, opening up what would be a highly competitive race with many candidates to voters of any party (NYC operates under a closed primary system, meaning that only voters registered with a specific political party can vote in that primary).

In order to run, a candidate would need to submit at least 3,750 qualified petition signatures to the New York City Board of Elections to appear on the ballot. The election would use the rank-choice voting system that was recently used for party primaries in New York City.

“Given the timetable, I believe the only way this process would come to pass is if Adams resigns,” Kraus said.

The more likely outcome, given Adams’ insistence that he won’t step down, would be if Hochul removes him, a process that would probably not happen until after March 26 given that the process allows Adams 30 days to present a defense while he’s suspended. The governor could also restore the mayor to office after he makes his case.

If the vacancy doesn’t open until after March 26, Williams would serve as the interim acting mayor until the general election on November 4. Whoever wins would become mayor earlier than usual, beginning their term soon after Election Day instead of having to wait until the new year.

“The winner of the general election would become Mayor once the election is certified and then would become Mayor until the end of the current term (December 31), and then take up their four-year term on January 1,” Kraus said.

There’s also a third option, one similar to the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that was added to the New York City Charter after former Mayor Ed Koch suffered a stroke in the late 1980s. This process would involve a committee of five city officials, known as the “Inability Committee,” making a recommendation to the City Council for the mayor be removed with a two-thirds vote of the Council.

The committee would include the corporation counsel, the comptroller, the City Council speaker, a deputy mayor designated by the mayor and the borough president who has served for the longest consecutive period of time. Adams would be allowed to remain in office until the council vote.

“This might take even longer to do,” Kraus said, adding that, “There’s even a question of whether this would apply since it was intended to address physical or psychological problems, not legal/political issues.”

City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said in September she didn’t believe this third option would apply in Adams’ case.

Has a New York City Mayor Ever Resigned?

Adams is the first New York City major to face criminal charges while in office, and if he is removed from his post, he would be the first to suffer such a fate.

If he chooses to resign, Adams would be following in the footsteps of former Mayors Jimmy Walker and William O’Dwyer, who stepped down in 1932 and 1950, respectively.

However, Kraus pointed out that today’s rules of succession were not in place when O’Dwyer resigned. In that instance, City Council President Vincent Impellitteri succeeded him as mayor.

Who Is Jumaane Williams?

Williams, a former city councilman, has served as New York City public advocate for the last five years. In his role, he is empowered to investigate citizen complaints, sponsor legislation and use the bully pulpit of his office to push for change.

Viewed as a leftist progressive, Williams is often seen at protests with a “Stay Woke” button. He has been arrested for civil disobedience at several demonstrations.

The public advocate began his career as a community organizer for the Greater Flatbush Beacon School, according to a biography on his website. He also served as the executive director of NYS Tenants & Neighbors, before he was elected to city council in 2009.

He unsuccessfully ran for lieutenant governor in 2018, losing to Hochul when she ran with Andrew Cuomo at the top of the ticket. He also unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2022, losing again to Hochul in the primary.

Williams has endorsed Lander for mayor, saying he would rank the comptroller first or second.

Who Is Running in the Democratic Primary for New York City Mayor?

Eight Democrats have already thrown their hat in the ring for the June 24 Democratic primary.

In addition to Lander, state Senators Jessica Ramos and Zellnor Myrie, state Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani, former Comptroller Scott Stringer, nonprofit founder Michael Blake, lawyer Jim Walden and investor Whitney Tilson have launched bids to challenge Adams.

There is also speculation as to whether Cuomo will join the race as well. The former governor resigned following allegations of sexual harassment from multiple women in 2021, denying the allegations but saying his resignation was in the state’s best interest.

Cuomo has not officially declared his candidacy, but has been scooping up endorsements from influential New York Democrats. A recent poll conducted by Hart Research Associates indicates that Cuomo leads the pack, with 32 percent support among likely Democratic voters.