Mayor Adams Indictment: What Happens Next?
Mayor Eric Adams is the first mayor in New York City’s 400-year history to be indicted on criminal charges. You may be wondering: What happens next?
Mayor Adams pleaded not guilty, plans to keep running the city, and doesn’t intend to resign — but the decision may not be his alone.
The City Charter provides two ways the mayor may be removed from office:
1. The governor can remove the mayor, but only after notifying him of the charges and giving him an opportunity to defend himself. During this process, the governor could suspend him for up to 30 days.
Fun Fact: This has never happened, but it almost did! Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt threatened to remove Mayor Jimmy Walker in 1932 amid a corruption scandal tied to Tammany Hall, the powerful political machine. Walker resigned before FDR could show him the door.
2. An “inability committee” and the City Council can determine the mayor is temporarily or permanently unable to perform his duties. Members of this committee are the head of the city’s law department, the City Council speaker, a deputy mayor chosen by the mayor, the city comptroller, and the longest-serving borough president. If four of the five committee members vote to declare the mayor unable to serve, the City Council could remove him with a two-thirds majority vote.
If the mayor is removed or resigns, the process for succession will come into play. The public advocate, currently Jumaane Williams, would become acting mayor. Williams would then be required to call a nonpartisan special election within about 80 days to elect a new mayor, who would serve the remainder of Adams’ term, ending on December 31, 2025.
Importantly, the primary and general elections for mayor in 2025 will still take place as usual, regardless of any interim leadership changes. If the mayor leaves office after late March 2025, no special election would be held, and the public advocate would serve as acting mayor until the November 2025 mayoral election. The winner of that election would take office immediately.
As the legal process unfolds, it’s important to stay engaged and informed about potential leadership changes that could shape the future of our city. We’ll continue to monitor the situation and keep you updated.
