Democrat Eric Adams won the mayoral election in New York City Tuesday, campaigning on promises to boost public safety and give working-class residents a voice. This comes based on his own experience as a police captain and as a Black man who experienced police brutality as a youngster. 

The Associated Press projected Adams, who has served as Brooklyn Borough President since 2014, the winner. After defeating Republican Curtis Silwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels civilian patrol, he will become the city’s second Black mayor.

The 61-year- old Adam succeeds Democrat Bill de Blasio, who was term-limited after eight years in office. 

Adams will be in charge of managing the nascent recovery of the country’s largest city from the coronavirus outbreak, as well as addressing income inequality, a shortage of affordable housing, and struggling public schools.

In the overwhelmingly Democratic city, he was anticipated to win handily. 

Adam’s win could give some signs of where voters stand as they try to maintain a fragile alliance between progressives and centrists in Washington.

Adams won the Democratic primary election with a coalition that resembled, in some ways, the voters who helped Biden win the Democratic nomination in 2020, particularly his support among more moderate Black voters. 

Progressives are concerned that Adams would cater too much to the real estate business, which has contributed heavily to his campaign.

Adams has never been hesitant about expressing his belief that his win can serve as a blueprint for national Democrats. He has dismissed left-wing critics of his agenda, claiming that they do not speak for mainstream Democrats.

“I say that it’s time for us to stop believing that we should have the right tweets. We should have the right safe streets,” Adams told CNN in July.

He portrayed himself as a “blue-collar” New Yorker who suggested that the party’s more liberal wing had disregarded working-class Democrats.