Democrat Eric Adams wins New York mayoral race on promises of boosting public safety & making city a bitcoin hub

Democratic candidate Eric Adams has become the 110th mayor of New York City and the second black man in the role, after a landslide election win over his Republican rival Curtis Sliwa on Tuesday.

Adams' victory over Sliwa, who is mainly famous for founding the Guardian Angels civilian patrol in late 1970s, didn't come as a surprise as the Democratic voters traditionally vastly outnumber their Republican counterparts in New York.

He will be assuming the mayoral chair from fellow Democrat Bill de Blasio, who already served two terms and couldn't run again. De Blasio's final years in office were marred by the harsh fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic, record unemployment rates, spiking crime, skyrocketing housing prices, extreme inequality and a host of other issues.

Following his win, Adams called on New Yorkers to forget about their party affiliation and unite to work together for the benefit of America's largest city.

“We are so divided right now, and we're missing the beauty of our diversity,” the 61-year-old told his supporters on Tuesday night. “Today we take off the intramural jerseys and we put on one jersey, Team New York.”

A former police captain, Adams prevailed in the chaotic Democratic primaries during the summer, on promises to tackle gun violence –which has reached alarming proportions, unseen in the city since the 1990s– and boosting public security. He proposed a reform of the NYPD that would, among other things, see some roles carried out by officers shifting to civilians, allowing the city budget to save some $500 million.

Adams, who comes from Brooklyn, has been describing himself as a “blue-collar” New Yorker. His campaign had been mainly targeted at working-class Democrats, who, he insists, have been overlooked by the more left-leaning wing of his party. The mayor-elect has even suggested that his success could become a template for the Democrats to act on a national level.

His win was also celebrated online by Bitcoin Magazine, one of the leading outlets on cryptocurrencies.

Adams had earlier suggested that the city's economy should be boosted through introducing state-of-the-art technologies, like cybersecurity systems, drones, and self-driving cars. New York is going to become “the center of bitcoin” under his administration, he said.

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