Former New York Governor David Paterson endorsed New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ independent reelection bid on Wednesday, appearing with Adams outside City Hall. Paterson, a Democrat, previously backed fellow former Governor Andrew Cuomo during the party’s primary.
In a speech shared online by the Adams campaign, Paterson described Adams as “dynamic, articulate, perceptive, courageous, and outspoken,” qualities he said are vital for leadership. He praised Adams for using those traits “to bring the city to where it stands right now.”
“This afternoon, I’m here to stand for someone who has already run this city as mayor for nearly four years and has made huge changes over the past administrations,” Paterson said. “Going back probably to the Bloomberg administration for the number of achievements this mayor has been able to accomplish in his time.”
Paterson acknowledged Adams’ past legal challenges, noting that “like everyone in life, and certainly in politics, there have been some pitfalls.” He said Adams recognized those moments, learned from them, and “made the necessary changes to even improve [his] work beyond where it already has been,” which he called the mark of a leader who deserves another term. He also credited Adams for offering counsel and support during Paterson’s own controversies.
When asked why he chose to back Adams over the other candidates, Paterson said Cuomo’s primary loss showed he “wasn’t as present” as he should have been in the final weeks. By contrast, Adams “talks about his goals every day and has a record voters can measure. He added that Adams’ “scorecard” of accomplishments since 2022 was “as good as any mayor that preceded him, maybe going back to Giuliani.”
Paterson also dismissed concerns of electability, pointing out that Adams is polling at a similar level to where Zohran Mamdani stood in early summer, before his surge to win the Democratic nomination.
Paterson had initially endorsed Cuomo in June, calling him a “workable, sensible candidate.” After Mamdani secured the Democratic nomination, he urged Adams and Cuomo to consider uniting to counter Mamdani’s momentum in the polls. Another independent, Jim Walden, has made a similar call for later in the year.
Regarding Mamdani, Paterson said the nominee has “some very interesting concepts and ideas,” but “can’t really solve them unless he has the resources,” something Paterson argued Mamdani has yet to address. He likened Mamdani’s platform to that of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, which has faced budget shortfalls. Paterson also referenced Republican Curtis Sliwa, who earlier this week called an endorsement from him a “kiss of death,” quipping that Sliwa himself was the same.
Adams is running as an independent this November after skipping the Democratic primary. He petitioned to appear under two lines, ultimately ending with the “EndAntiSemitism” ballot line when he was only allowed to use one. Election Day is Tuesday, November 4, 2025.
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