Mayoral Candidate Eric Adams today picked up the endorsement of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association (UFOA) representing the FDNY’s lieutenants, captains, and chiefs throughout the city’s firehouses.
The union endorsement comes as Adams continues to gain traction with union endorsements. He has also been endorsed by DC37, the Hotel Trades Council, OPEIU Local 153 and 32BJ SEIU.
“It really is an honor to have the endorsement of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association. These men and women keep us safe, protecting us from danger every day. We owe them our gratitude, and so I thank them for their endorsement and the work they do every day,” said Adams.
“We cannot forget what our frontline workers did for this city during COVID. We can never forget it. Once again, they stepped up in the darkest moment and kept us safe. And they did it with the blue-collar spirit of hard-working New Yorkers. They show up. They do their job. These are the people that keep New York going–every single day,” he added.
Following the endorsement, Adams once again hammered home his blue-collar credentials, pointing out that as an ex-New York City police officer he is the only person running for mayor that holds a union card.
“So their [UFOA] healthcare is my healthcare. Their pension plan is my pension plan. That is why we’re standing here together fighting for the same things,” Adams said.
Adams also continued to call out public safety and crime as major issues, reiterating his recent campaign stump speech that the city’s NYPD needs to reinstate the disbanded anti-crime unit turning it into the anti-gun unit to combat the uptick in gun violence.
“We have a gang violence problem in the city and we need to send a clear message that you are not going to take over our streets,” said Adams. “This city is going to be controlled by one or another group. It will be controlled by the good guys or the bad guys. And right now, the bad guys are controlling too many streets in our city. That has to be stopped and we have to send a clear message about that.”
Adams also pushed back against questions that he is not progressive enough and that the left has been critical of him as a moderate who once identified as a Republican.
“Let me tell you, my progressive status. I don’t believe in just closing Rikers Island. We need to close the pipeline that feeds Rikers. Being progressive is not only making sure we have a hospital in communities, but that we have real food that’s not unhealthy, creating chronic diseases,” said Adams, who is a vegan.
According to the most recent polls, Adams is running second to Andrew Yang in the multicandidate race. The primary is June 22.
