Top Democrats are pushing to run Tish James for NYC mayor if Eric Adams is ousted

Top Democrats are pushing state Attorney General Tish James to prepare for a special election for mayor — if Mayor Eric Adams leaves before the end of his term.

Party leaders are rallying behind James out of fear that a special election could plunge the Big Apple into more turmoil, as moderate lawmakers line up for a potential runoff and eye the political comeback of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Is.

“People are cheering around Tish. “A lot of people are interested in Tish running for mayor,” state Democratic Party leader Jay Jacobs told The Post on Monday about a “what if” scenario.

Jacobs — who has not called on Adams to resign as he faces federal charges — said party leaders “don’t have much appetite” for Cuomo, who resigned in 2021 amid sexual harassment claims. And allegations were made that his administration had botched its COVID response. The response to COVID-19 was then hidden to avoid responsibility for the death toll.

“You open a whole can of worms with Cuomo,” he said. “I don’t know if we’d want to revisit that.”

One Democratic insider said the difference between Cuomo and James is that “people really like Tish.”

“Andrew has a bigger burden to carry than the current mayor,” the insider said.

Some sources said Gov. Kathy Hochul’s camp recently contacted James to see if she’d be interested in jumping into the special election if Cuomo comes forward — but James denied that. He had spoken directly to the Governor on this subject.

“No, she did not reach out to me,” James told The Post while she was stumping for Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY) in the Hudson Valley.

“I don’t believe in speculation. Right now, my focus is on the Attorney General’s office,” he added, though he hasn’t closed the door on a possible mayoral run.

People close to him have also not denied that there were talks between their teams.

A potential newcomer to an already crowded field for mayor comes days later The Post was the first to report Hochul’s lawyers have begun researching how to use a rarely executed part of the state law that allows him to potentially oust the mayor from office.

If removed, city Public Advocate Jumaane Williams would fill the seat under the city charter until a special election — a change that some in political circles would want in the long term.

“Jumanay is not the answer,” one source said of the idealistic progressive. He added, “The ideal situation would be to wait 90 days before a special election and have James take over.”

James will likely face State Senator Jessica Ramos, State Senator Zellnor Myrie, City Comptroller Brad Lander and his predecessor Scott Stringer.

But another source familiar with the AG’s thinking said he doesn’t think Adams is going anywhere and has no plans to flee at this time.

“Frankly, it’s amazing how Andrew Cuomo is living rent-free in Kathy Hochul’s mind. There is no limit to his political weakness.”

James’s entry into the race, especially in a special election where he is not ranked as a favorite, could solidify support among progressives, while also giving donors and other powerful interests a known quantity of support. That’s not a much-ridiculed former governor.

Pundits believe James could uniquely bring together a large group of centrist Democrats and those on the left, as well as more moderate blacks, Latinos and Jews.

James won his first race for City Council against a Democrat on the Working Families Party line. Brooklynite also has ties to the Jewish communities in Brooklyn.

While Adams is fighting for his political career, business interests and other allies are beginning to ask questions as he grapples with the cloud of uncertainty over Big Apple politics with his bombshell indictment on bribery and wire fraud charges. Are.

Paul Zuber, executive vice president of the Business Council of New York State, said he has spoken to business leaders who are taking a “wait and see” approach with Adams, but are starting to ask questions about what happens next.

“I think what businesses are trying to do is try to figure out what’s going to happen next, and with that comes a level of uncertainty that’s never good for business,” Zuber said. “

He added, “There are known quantities and each has its own advantages and disadvantages.”

For his part, Cuomo has already been working for weeks and months to garner critical support among the jews And Black leaders – constituencies on which Adams relied heavily to get to Gracie Mansion in 2021.

“The Jewish community is very eager for Cuomo to join the race. Many of us will jump to his side,” one Jewish leader said in a recent interview.

James has been rallying support for the Dems and their efforts to pass the Equal Rights Amendment on the ballot in recent weeks. Just last week she appeared at rallies in Buffalo, Westchester County and Poughkeepsie.

James has enjoyed a rising profile among Dems in the Empire State and nationally in recent years. Although she withdrew from the short-lived 2021 primary against Hochul, her name is regularly tossed around in political circles as a candidate for higher office. This includes a possible 2026 rematch against an unpopular Hochul.

For her part, Hochul is going through an intense and difficult political situation following Adams’ impeachment. In a statement released late Thursday after the indictment was issued, Hochul effectively laid down a marker and gave Adams few days To prove he can still do his job.

Hochul told reporters Monday that he has spoken to the mayor and that he believes New Yorkers’ confidence in him is “shaking.”

“I’m now giving the mayor an opportunity to show New Yorkers and me that we are righting the ship, we have an opportunity to reignite the confidence that I think is wavering right now,” she said.

Hochul also said she has been in contact with Al Shapperton, a powerful voice in the black community, who has not yet parted ways with Adams.

“I have great respect for the Rev. Al Sharpton. I talk to him often and I respect his leadership and I will continue to work with him,” Hochul said.