'It's almost mathematically impossible for Eric Adams not to win': Andrew Yang accepts Democrat ex-police captain as winner of NYC's mayoral primary after he secured 31.7% of the vote
- Former NYC mayoral hopeful Andrew Yang said Eric Adams' win is all but certain
- He made comments on his podcast in first remarks since withdrawing from race
- Former police officer Adams secured 31.7% in the first round of counting
- Board of Elections are due to release the first preliminary results on Tuesday
- However it will likely take weeks for an official winner to be named
- Adams has not declared victory but said the early lead was an encouraging sign
Andrew Yang has accepted rival Eric Adams as the winner of the New York City mayoral primary, saying 'it's almost mathematically impossible' for Adams not to win.
New Yorkers are awaiting the results of the Democratic race, in which Adams took 31.7 per cent in the first round of counting.
On Tuesday, the city Board of Elections is due to announce the first preliminary results, though no winner will be declared at this stage.
Yang, who was once a favorite to win, dropped out of the race on Wednesday after he came fourth in early results.
In his first remarks since ending his campaign, Yang said Adams' share of the vote makes the Brooklyn borough president effectively unbeatable.
'I think that there are going to be people who have different candidates in different orders such that it's almost mathematically impossible for Eric Adams not to win, based upon the lead that he has,' Yang said on the latest episode of his podcast Yang Speaks, released yesterday.
Andrew Yang (center) has accepted rival Eric Adams as the winner of the New York City mayoral primary, saying 'it's almost mathematically impossible' for Adams not to win
New Yorkers are awaiting the results of the Democratic race, in which Adams (center) took 31.7 per cent in the first round of counting
'It's one reason why, looking at the numbers, we decided not to say that we thought we had a path.
'Based on the numbers, it seemed like a near certainty that Eric Adams will be the Democratic nominee.
Adams has not declared victory but said the early lead was encouraging.
'If the Democratic Party fails to recognize what we did here in New York, they're going to have a problem in the midterm elections, and they're going to have a problem in the presidential election, Adams said at a press conference on Thursday.
Currently in second place is Maya Wiley, a former counsel to current Mayor Bill de Blasio, with 22.3 per cent of the vote from the first round of counting. Former city sanitation commissioner Kathryn Garcia is in third place with 19.5 per cent.
Democratic mayoral candidate Maya Wiley, center, greets a voter during a campaign stop in New York, Tuesday, June 22, 2021. Wiley is currently in second place
Democrat mayoral candidate Kathryn Garcia poses with a voter on Tuesday, June 22, 2021. Garcia is currently in third place
New York City's new ranked-choice voting process kicked in after no candidate secured more than 50 per cent of first-choice votes from those who headed to the polls last Tuesday or cast their ballot in the early voting period.
Voters can rank up to five candidates in the mayor's race, with the Democratic nominee now set to be decided through an elimination process that begins today.
The candidate with the fewest votes is knocked out and the second choices marked on the ballots cast for that candidate are then distributed among the remaining hopefuls.
This repeats until one candidate has a simple majority. Absentee ballots - excluded from earlier counts - are then added and a new set of eliminations begins to reveal the true winner.
Voters mark their ballots at Frank McCourt High School, in New York, Tuesday, June 22, 2021
A voter receives her ballot at Frank McCourt High School, in New York, Tuesday, June 22, 2021
The process could take weeks. A fresh round of results is expected on July 6, with a more complete set expected to follow the week after.
The winning Democratic candidate is widely expected to win the mayor's race and will face off against Republic candidate Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels vigilante group.
Sliwa, 67, defeated Fernando Mateo to win Tuesday's primary with an overwhelming 72 percent to Mateo's 28.
Sliwa had been endorsed by Rudy Giuliani, who was NYC's last Republican mayor.
On Tuesday night, he ran into Caitlyn Jenner, who is running for Governor of California, at local radio station 77ABC where she congratulated him on his win.
Sliwa's campaign is rooted in law and order and restoring the city's business.
The Republican results were easier to finalize than those of the Democrats as voters only had to pick between two candidates and Sliwa's margin was overwhelming.
Sliwa founded a vigilante safety group called the Magic 13 in 1977 to protect New Yorkers amid a spike in violent crime.
He changed the name of the group to the Guardian Angels in 1979.
They became synonymous with the New York City of the 70s and 80s that saw rising crime.
They were originally trained to ride the city's subways and make citizen's arrests while deterring crime simply with their presence.
In response to the current spike in NYC crime, the organization has increased its presence on the subways again.
The leading NYC mayor candidates
THE REPUBLICAN NOMINEE
Curtis Sliwa
Curtis Sliwa - Republican
Founder of the vigilante group The Guardian Angels
Promises: Reinstate the scrapped anti-crime unit in the NYPD.
He has been independent for most of his life but registered Republican in February.
Endorsed by: Rudy Giuliani
THE DEMOCRATS
Eric Adams
Eric Adams
Former cop, current Brooklyn Borough President
Promises: Reinstate crime-unit in NYPD, free cops up from paperwork and let them get back on the streets, appoint female NYPD Commissioner
Endorsed by: George Floyd's brother Terrence
Maya Wiley
Maya Wiley
Lawyer, professor, civil rights activist, former de Blasio advisor
Promises: Defund the NYPD, launch city-wide affordable healthcare plan in New York City, build more affordable housing and more schools
Endorsed by: AOC
Kathryn Garcia
Kathryn Garcia
Former Sanitation Commissioner
Promises: Raise age of police recruitment from 21 to 25, make NYC rely fully on renewable energy
Endorsed by: The New York Times
OUT OF THE RACE
Fernando Mateo - Republican
Fernando Mateo
Mateo is a small business owner, President of the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers and a spokesperson for the United Bodegas of America
Mateo founded the Toys for Guns program in 1993 that gave out toys at Christmas for guns that were handed in to try to get them off the streets.
Promises: Add another 20,000 cops to the 35,000 already in the NYPD
Endorsed by: Bronx Republican Party and the Queens County GOP
Andrew Yang - Democrat
Andrew Yang
Businessman and one-time failed Presidential hopeful.
Promises: $1bn COVID relief cash program, bring back tourism
Endorsed by: Elon Musk endorsed him for President
