Eric Adams courts Republicans in NYC mayoral race as fears grow over surging socialist Zohran Mamdani’s latest poll

Mayor Eric Adams is making a strategic move in his re-election campaign by reaching out to Republican leaders for support. With fears growing over socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani’s surging campaign, Adams is attempting to sway GOP bigwigs to either back him over their presumptive mayoral nominee, Curtis Sliwa, or publicly support his independent run.

Adams and his allies have been making calls to Republican leaders, aiming to build a bipartisan coalition of moderate Democrats and Republicans who share concerns about a potential Mamdani mayorship. The mayor is aware that he may not secure the actual GOP nomination, but he believes that uniting conservative and moderate power players behind him could be a winning strategy in the general election.

This move comes after Adams previously explored the option of running on the Republican party line back in February, in case he lost the Democratic primary. However, Republicans ultimately rallied behind Sliwa, their 2021 candidate who lost to Adams. Now, Adams is making a renewed effort to court Republican support based on the shared fear of a Mamdani victory.

Despite facing challenges under an obscure New York election law that aims to prevent party jumping, Adams is determined to secure Republican backing. Sliwa, who currently has the support of all five GOP county chairs, has made it clear that he is not backing down and views Adams’ efforts to woo Republicans as desperate.

While Adams continues to identify as a Democrat, he has been increasingly aligning himself with former President Trump, attending a crypto conference in Las Vegas and referencing the vice president in his speeches. This strategic move to court Republican support and align with Trump reflects Adams’ focus on results and leadership rather than party labels.

In conclusion, Adams’ outreach to Republican leaders signals a shift in his campaign strategy as he seeks to build a coalition of moderate Democrats and Republicans to counter the rising threat of a socialist candidate. By leveraging fears over a potential Mamdani mayorship, Adams is positioning himself as a unifying force in a polarized political landscape.