Eric Leroy Adams born September 1, is an American politician and former police officer who has served as the th mayor of New York City since He served in the New York State Senate from to , representing the 20th district in Brooklyn.
In , Adams was elected Brooklyn Borough President , the first Black American to hold the position, and re-elected in In , Adams received the Democratic Party 's nomination for mayor of New York City after narrowly winning a crowded primary which used instant-runoff voting.
In the general election , Adams won a landslide victory over Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa. As mayor, he has taken what is seen as a tough-on-crime approach and reintroduced a plain-clothed NYPD unit that had been disbanded by the previous administration. He has also implemented, alongside increased police presence, a zero-tolerance policy on homeless people sleeping in subway cars.
In September , a series of investigations into Adams' administration emerged. Adams was indicted on federal charges of bribery, fraud, and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations. He was the first mayor in New York City history to be charged with federal crimes while in office.
He alleged that the charges were retaliation for opposing the Biden administration 's handling of the migrant crisis. Adams was born in Brownsville, Brooklyn , on September 1, His family was so poor that he often brought a bag of clothes to school with him in case of a sudden eviction from his home. At age 14, Adams joined a gang, the 7-Crowns, and became known as "a tough little guy".
