By: Teddy Grant

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams won the New York City Democratic primary for mayor on Tuesday, all but ensuring that he will be NYC’s next mayor, according to the Associated Press.

New York’s City’s Board of Elections showed that Adams maintained his lead over Kathryn Garcia by 8,426 votes, in the latest ranked-choice voter count.

According to HuffPost, Adams said in a statement:

“While there are still some very small amounts of votes to be counted, the results are clear: an historic, diverse, five-borough coalition led by working-class New Yorkers has led us to victory in the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City. Now we must focus on winning in November so that we can deliver on the promise of this great city for those who are struggling, who are underserved, and who are committed to a safe, fair, affordable future for all New Yorkers.”

Mayoral candidate Maya Wiley, who served as an attorney for Mayor Bill de Blasio, gained some support in the few weeks leading up to the election, including an endorsement from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. She thanked her supporters on Tuesday night.

“To my staff, endorsers, friends, volunteers and all the New Yorkers who share our vision for a reimagined New York City, I want to thank you for your fierce commitment to this city and your humbling support for my campaign,” Wiley said. “We will have more to say about the next steps shortly.”

Adams, a former cop who called himself “the people’s candidate,” said that as communities change the need for law enforcement needs to change as well. “Police officers are responding to too many jobs that they shouldn’t,” he told Start Your Day’s Mike Hill and Sharon Reed in April.

If he wins in the fall, Adams would be the second Black mayor in New York City’s history.