Eric Adams takes early lead in NYC mayoral primary, Andrew Yang concedes

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The race to elect New York City’s next mayor has been a contentious one. The field in the Democratic primary was crowded with challengers, but the city’s new ranked-choice voting system means its winner won’t be announced immediately.

At the ballot box Tuesday and through mail-in voting, New Yorkers were able — but not required — to choose up to five mayoral candidates through a method that allows voters to rank candidates by preference, rather than just selecting their top choice.

According to CBS News, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams was leading the Democratic challengers, garnering 31% of the vote.

On election night, he spoke to his supporters, telling them, “The little guy won today. And so now, we stand here in the most important city in the most important country on the globe. What a moment, New York. What a moment … New York City said, ‘Our first choice is Eric Adams.’”

The second choice slot is close: Prominent civil rights attorney Maya Wiley had 22% and Kathryn Garcia, the city’s New York Times-endorsed former sanitation commissioner, held 20%. Tuesday’s primary victor will face Republican Curtis Sliwa, a radio host and area activist, in the final race for New York City mayor.

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Former Democratic presidential nominee Andrew Yang conceded the race Tuesday night, saying, “I am not going to be the next mayor of New York City.” Yang had pulled in a surprisingly low 13% of the vote. At one point, he was considered to be Adams’s closest competitor, despite his lack of political experience.

If elected, Eric Adams would be the city’s second Black mayor. If the city chooses Wiley or Garcia, the first woman could be elected.

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Wiley has the endorsement of progressive New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, while Adams had been endorsed by two emergency workers’ unions — FDNY EMS Local 2507 and UEMSO 3621 — that represent nearly 5,000 first responders in the city.

Analysts have called this year’s election one of the most important for the metropolis as it seeks to bounce back from the economic and emotional devastation of the coronavirus pandemic. Current mayor Democrat Bill de Blasio is leaving office due to term limits.

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