Adrienne Adams on suing the Mayor, making NYC affordable and safer: ‘You don’t have to be a bully to lead’

Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

In a conversation with The Haitian Times, mayoral candidate and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams shares her vision for a safer, more affordable and more inclusive New York City. She discusses her family’s deep ties to the Haitian community, her lawsuit against ICE on Rikers Island, and her plans to fix the city’s broken nonprofit payment system. She also draws a clear line between her collaborative leadership style and the more combative approaches of some rivals.

THT: What has your relationship with the Haitian community been like?

Adrienne Adams: Haitians have literally been my neighbors since childhood. I grew up in Southeast Queens, and many of my oldest friends—friends for over 45 years—are Haitian. On top of that, my daughter-in-law is Haitian. So my twin grandsons are being raised in a Haitian household. The Haitian community is not just close to me—it’s family.

THT: What are your top three priorities as mayor?

Adams: I legislate very selfishly—in the interest of our families and our neighbors. 

I want my children to be able to afford to stay in New York City. So my top priority is affordable housing. I passed the most pro-housing legislation in a generation, including the Fair Housing Framework law, which makes every NYC district responsible for building affordable housing. I also presented and enacted what the mayor calls the City of Yes, but with changes that made it palatable to our communities

Two, public safety. Every New Yorker is feeling right now anxious and we’ve got our nerves all shaken. We’ve got over 2,000 vacancies right now at the NYPD. So we need to fill those vacancies, expand violence interrupter programs, and get officers out of mental health response—they didn’t sign up to be social workers. 

Three is child care. I want to subsidize care so parents, like my own daughter, aren’t forced to quit their jobs just to raise kids. I’ve also advocated for early childhood daycare workers to get their credentials and aspire up toward their teaching certificate. 

THT: You’ve been fighting against having ICE on Rikers. Can you explain what’s happening?

Adams: Absolutely. Mayor Adams is trying to let ICE reopen an office on Rikers Island—despite it being illegal since 2014. Instead of signing the executive order himself, he had his deputy mayor do it, which is unprecedented. So, as City Council speaker, I filed a lawsuit to block it. The judge granted our temporary restraining order, and we’re moving forward. [Editor’s Note: Since this interview, a judge has blocked ICE from the jail.]

I’m fighting this because New York is—and must remain—a sanctuary city. Our immigrant communities, Haitians included, are scared. People aren’t sending kids to school. Workers are skipping shifts. I saw it firsthand at Flatbush Central Market, where vendors told me how fear has devastated foot traffic. This isn’t about politics—it’s about livelihoods. I will always stand up to Donald Trump and anyone else threatening New Yorkers.

THT: Many nonprofits still haven’t been paid, though the Mayor recently said he’s advancing funds for them. How would you fix the problem?

Adams: The mayor’s $5 billion advance announcement? It only happened after I introduced legislation to mandate upfront nonprofit payments. My bill also creates an independent office to oversee contracts and end the confusion. Nonprofits do critical work—after-school care, food aid, youth programs—but they’re treated like afterthoughts. That ends under my administration.

THT: We’ve heard many complaints about a ‘who you know’ culture pervasive in the city. How would you remedy that?

Adams: I don’t bring into leadership people I’ve known for 20 years who don’t know a hill of beans about the job they’re doing. As mayor, my deputy mayors will be people with experience in their realm, knowledgeable people steering the ship.

THT: Overall, how would your administration be different in tone and style?

Adams: You don’t have to be a bully to lead. I’m not Cuomo, and I’m not Eric Adams. I don’t speak in the third person. I don’t lead through fear. I’ve built a leadership team of experts—nurses, educators, youth workers—and that’s what I’ll do as mayor. Competence and integrity will guide everything.

I don’t operate in a vacuum as the City Council Speaker. I didn’t as a manager in corporate America, I didn’t as the chair of my community board. I have always brought in those knowledgeable voices to work with me because that’s the only way we’re going to get this done—together. 

THT: Some Haitian leaders are backing other candidates. What’s your response to that?

Adams: I’m endorsed by every Haitian member of the City Council: Rita Joseph, Mercedes Narcisse, Farah Louis and Chi Ossé. That means a lot. These are people who represent the Haitian community every day—and they trust me. 

But for every voter out there, I say rank Adrienne Adams number one.

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