NYC Mayoral Contest: Ex-Governor Paterson Endorses Adams, Urges Mamdani Rivals to Unite

Former Governor David Paterson Endorses Eric Adams in NYC Mayoral Race

Former Governor David Paterson has thrown his support behind incumbent Mayor Eric Adams in the New York City mayoral race, endorsing him over Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani. Paterson believes that Adams is the best candidate to lead the city at this critical time and praised Adams' record, calling it "incredible," particularly regarding crime reduction.

Paterson initially supported former Governor Andrew Cuomo during the primary but shifted his endorsement to Adams after Mamdani won the Democratic nomination. He emphasized that despite previous issues Adams faced, his overall performance from 2022 through 2025 is as good as any recent mayor, and he deserves the opportunity for another term.

According to Paterson, Adams' agenda is more substantial than that of Mamdani, and he believes that Adams would win a "one-on-one" contest with Mamdani. He also urged independents to unite against Mamdani, who is described as a Democratic socialist, suggesting that Adams is the candidate best positioned to prevent Mamdani's victory.

Adams has pledged to "take no prisoners" and "move forward" in his campaign, promising to "explain a lot that's going on during this particular time." He has sung Paterson's praises in return, calling his endorsement "of this magnitude" what he looks for.

However, many institutional Democrats have yet to decide who to support in the general election, with some backing Adams and others joining Mamdani's campaign. Adams is currently polling in fourth place, often coming behind Mamdani, former Governor Cuomo, and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa. Paterson expects Adams' standing in the polls to improve after Labor Day, when more voters will begin tuning into the general election.

Paterson has not expressed support for any other candidate besides incumbent Mayor Eric Adams and former Governor Andrew Cuomo. He continues to believe that Cuomo should stay in the race, despite the fact that most of the institutional support for Cuomo during the primary has either shifted or remained silent during the general.

In a statement, Paterson cited his decades-long relationship with Adams and praised the mayor's management of the city over the past 3 1/2 years as reasons for his endorsement. He also emphasized that despite previous issues Adams faced, his overall performance from 2022 through 2025 is as good as any recent mayor, and he deserves the opportunity for another term.

References:

[1] New York Post, "David Paterson endorses Eric Adams for mayor, rips Zohran Mamdani as a 'Democratic socialist'," 26 July 2025.

[2] CNN, "David Paterson endorses Eric Adams in NYC mayoral race," 26 July 2025.

[3] Politico, "David Paterson endorses Eric Adams for NYC mayor," 26 July 2025.

NYC Mayoral Contest: Ex-Governor Paterson Endorses Adams, Urges Mamdani Rivals to Unite