Hoping to boost his sagging poll numbers in his re-election campaign, Mayor Eric Adams appeared on NY1 on Friday to explain why he wants to involuntarily remove drug users from the streets.

Meanwhile, Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani picked up another key endorsement and criticized the mayor’s rejection of street vendor legislation backed by the City Council.

What You Need To Know

  • Mayor Eric told NY1 he has a track record of stitching together a diverse group of New Yorkers

  • He then revealed he wants to add drug addicts to the list of people that medical professionals can involuntarily commit to hospital care, which would require sign off from the state Legislature

  • Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani took aim at Adams’ recent veto of legislation written to reduce penalties against street vendors, which was one of his first campaign promises

“You do not say you’re going to govern right-leaning or left-leaning, you govern the people of the city,” Adams said in an interview Friday while making the case to keep his job.

Adams told NY1 he has a track record of stitching together a diverse group of New Yorkers.

“I think when you look at 2021 when I campaigned, I was able to build those coalitions. That’s how I won. I became the mayor because I built coalitions with all groups,” he said.

But a new poll shows Adams holds just a 30% favorability to 58% unfavorability rating.

Meaning, he’s more unpopular than opponents Mamdani and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Adams didn’t rule out trying to appeal to Republican voters.

“I think there is always a coalition of people in this city who care about quality of life issues and they want to have a place to raise their children and families,” he said.

He then revealed he wants to add drug addicts to the list of people that medical professionals can involuntarily commit to hospital care, which would require sign-off from the state Legislature.

“If you’re under that influence, you don’t know you need help often and we believe the same methodologies behind involuntary removal for severe mental health illness should be for drug use as well,” he said.

Meanwhile, in Richmond Hill, Queens, Mamdani weighed in on Adams’ plan.

“When you focus on outcomes and look at recent studies around involuntary commitment, it starts to ask more questions about whether it presents the same solutions that we are told that it does,” he said.

Mamdani also welcomed new support from Queens Democratic Borough President Donovan Richards, who backed Adams in 2021.

“I have to admit, when I saw him eat a gyro on the train, I was disgusted. I was like, ‘This is not the New York way, man. ‘It’s almost like eating pizza with a fork,’” he joked, referencing one of Mamdani’s campaign videos.

Richards also appeared to issue a veiled warning to other top Democrats who have yet to endorse the party’s nominee.

“Now is not the time for us to sit on the fence,” he said.

“People don’t care about [whether] you’re a Democrat or a Republican when you need your potholes filled,” he added, perhaps asking voters to look past Mamdani’s party affiliation and focus on his policy priorities.

Mamdani also took aim at Adams’ recent veto of legislation written to reduce penalties against street vendors — also one of his first campaign promises.

“What he did with that veto, it harms business leaders and entrepreneurs across the city. And what is important to do is to take the actions that live up to the responsibility of the position, and that’s not what he did,” Mamdani said.

City Council leaders have also pledged to override Adams’ veto in an upcoming vote.