Bill Ackman@BillAckman
In summary, in light of the inability to add a new name to the ballot and the low probability of success of a write-in campaign, the only candidates with a credible chance to beat @ZohranKMamdani are Cuomo and Adams.
I met yesterday with @NYCMayor Eric Adams and @andrewcuomo to discuss the upcoming election, and I spent an hour or so with each of them.
In short, my takeaway is that Adams can win the upcoming election and that the Governor should step aside to maximize Adams’ probability of success.
I say this while having a high regard for Andrew Cuomo and his contributions to New York State. But it was abundantly clear in his body language, his subdued energy and his proposals to beat Mamdani, that he is not up for the fight.
In comparison, Mayor Adams is ready to go to battle, guns blazing with enormous energy and clarity on why Mamdani and his socialist/communist (‘We must seize the means of production) and anti-NYPD policies would be catastrophic for NYC. Adams is a great campaigner who can lead the grass roots effort needed to defeat Mamdani, and as mayor, he has a great platform to tell his story.
Eric’s first term has not been without flaws. In particular, he relied too much on friends of Adams to staff his administration; however, when one looks at his record in totality, he has had a strong first term.
Importantly, Adams has committed to hire the best and brightest to staff his campaign and administration, and many super talented NYers have already reached out to help. Mamdani and his policies are inspiring many of our most talented citizens with relevant experience to join Eric’s team.
New York City residents’ top concerns are public safety, affordability, quality of life and the local economy. In all of these areas, Mayor Adams has had impressive accomplishments.
Public Safety—Under the leadership of the Mayor and Police Commissioner Tisch, major crime is down by double digit percentages this year. Shootings are down to their lowest level in recorded City history, and murders are down to record lows we haven’t seen since the 1960s. Subway crime is also down by double-digit percentages this year.
Jobs and the Local Economy—After the City lost a million jobs at the outset of COVID, the Adams Administration has achieved record job growth to the highest level of jobs in City history, with more than 4.86 million New Yorkers employed in NYC today.
NYC now has a record number of small businesses—more than 183,000—with 20 percent of those opening during this administration. The local economy and tax base are strong, and both will continue to grow unless Mamdani is elected.
Affordability—The Adams Administration has taken significant step with rezonings and its “City of Yes” legislation, to set the stage for the development of more than 130,000 units of affordable housing. Adams has the confidence of the NYC real estate community which will help drive development and investment.
The Adams Administration reduced the income tax burden on working class New Yorkers, 429,600 of whom had their city income taxes eliminated, and another 152,500 whose taxes were reduced.
The Mayor has protected the child care voucher system to help working families meet their child care needs, filling the more than $300 million child care gap left in this year’s state budget and investing in a new 2-K pilot program.
Quality of Life—This past Spring, Adams established a 1,500-cop unit to focus on “Quality of Life” crimes, and with excellent results, it has been expanded citywide.
The latest budget has increased funding for cultural institutions, libraries, and cultural programs, and provided more funding and personnel to keep streets, vacant lots, and parks clean.
Importantly, Adams is also always authentically himself—his smile is real unlike the other guy’s—and in my experience, the more authentic candidate always wins.
I will have more to share on Adams, the election, and on how you can help in a follow up post soon.
