Antisemitism may literally be on the ballot if New York City’s current mayor, Eric Adams, has his way.
Adams decided earlier this month to run for reelection as mayor as an independent, and not a Democrat. Now, he is petitioning to run in the general election on an “EndAntiSemitism” ballot line, Politico is reporting.
The move is meant to appeal to Jewish voters — and undercut his stiffest opponent, Democrat Andrew Cuomo, on a signature issue.
Adams’ campaign attorney, Vito Pitta, confirmed to Politico that the mayor is gathering signatures for two new ballot lines: “EndAntiSemitism” and “Safe&Affordable.” Adams will need to obtain 3,750 signatures from voters by May 27 for the ballot line for the general election, which is set for Nov. 4.
Adams’ decision, according to Politico, is “a choice that highlights one of his few remaining areas of unbridled political support” — namely, Orthodox Jewish communities in Brooklyn that previously backed him in the close mayoral race in 2021 — as well as an attempt to deflate Cuomo, the Democratic frontrunner who has made fighting antisemitism a central issue of his campaign.
Earlier this month, at a speech at West Side Institutional Synagogue, Cuomo called antisemitism “the most serious and most important issue” in the mayoral campaign and “in many ways, the toughest issue facing the city of New York and the country.”
Cuomo, who served as governor from 2011 to 2021, when he resigned amid allegations of sexual harassment, went on to call out his Democratic rivals for being soft on antisemitism and their support of Israel, often stretching the truth to do so. (Cuomo’s speech prompted candidate Brad Lander, who is Jewish, to clap back at Cuomo with a Yiddish curse.)
As governor, Cuomo had caused a stir among haredi Orthodox New Yorkers by instituting COVID-19 social distancing measures that some felt unfairly targeted Jewish practices. He was also accused of allegedly saying “these people and their f—ing tree houses” while campaigning in a haredi neighborhood during Sukkot — a claim he denies.
But as 2025 approached, Cuomo tried to bolster support from the city’s Jewish communities. In the Hamptons last year, he kicked off Never Again, NOW!, a project fighting antisemitism, and joined the legal team for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is facing war crimes charges in the International Criminal Court.
Now Adams, who faced federal corruption charges until President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice dismissed them earlier this month, is seeking to bolster support among haredi Orthodox Jewish communities, which backed him in the previous mayoral race. If Cuomo wins the Democratic primary — recent polls show Cuomo having a commanding lead at more than 38% of the first-choice vote, with candidate Zohran Mamdani, who would be the city’s first Muslim mayor, trailing at 16% — “Adams’ path to victory in November would require him to box out the ex-governor in high-turnout neighborhoods,” per Politico.
Adams’ deep ties to the city’s haredi Orthodox Jewish communities dates to his time as Brooklyn borough president, and their support helped him win the close Democratic primary in 2021. Throughout his tenure as mayor, Adams has frequently called out antisemitism, and has been unwavering in his support of Israel since its war with Hamas began following the attacks on Oct. 7, 2023. Adams even referred to himself as a “modern-day Maccabee” at the annual Hanukkah party at Gracie Mansion last year.
In the general election for mayor, candidates can run on multiple lines, and the votes on all the lines are totaled. The city’s Board of Elections limits party names to 15 characters, hence the lack of spacing in “EndAntiSemitism.”
Not everyone in New York’s Jewish community is on board with Adams’ and Cuomo’s attempts to center antisemitism in the mayoral race.
“Jews in New York are tired of antisemitism being politicized,” Phylisa Wisdom, executive director of the New York Jewish Agenda, told Politico. “And when they go to the polls, they should be informed about the varying positions that each candidate has, no matter who they are, beyond politicizing our very real pain.”
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