NYC Mayoral Primary: Eric Adams Leads 1st Round, Maya Wiley And Kathryn Garcia Neck And Neck
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- New York City mayoral results are still being counted, but most first-round votes are in.
Eric Adams holds the lead with 32%, Maya Wiley moved into second place overnight with 22%, a slight advantage over Kathryn Garcia, who had 20%.
Curtis Sliwa is the projected winner on the Republican said, beating out Fernando Mateo 72% to 28%.
Since none of the Democratic candidates got more than 50% in the new ranked choice voting system, we'll have to wait a few weeks for the official results.
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"New York City said, 'Our first choice is Eric Adams,'" Adams told supporters Tuesday night.
The Brooklyn Borough President and former NYPD officer, who ran on a public safety platform, spared little time declaring victory in the race.
"The little guy won today," Adams said.
But the other candidates say not so fast. Wiley, former counsel to Mayor Bill de Blasio who supports restructuring the NYPD, and Kathryn Garcia, former Sanitation commissioner who supports streamlining government agencies, hope the new ranked choice voting system works in their favor.
"What we celebrate today is that we have a path," said Wiley.
"This campaign has been about overcoming expectations," Garcia said.
Watch: What's Next With Ranked Choice Voting?
In the final days of the contest, Garcia and former presidential candidate Andrew Yang formed an alliance. But fourth-place Yang, who was an early favorite, admitted the numbers weren't in his favor and issued and early concession.
"Though we're not sure ultimately who the next mayor is going to be, but whoever that person is, I will be very happy to work with them," he said.
Thank you to everyone who supported me and Evelyn in the campaign to help New York! Love to you all. It was truly a people-powered campaign that broke records along the way. Thanks for making history alongside us. There's a long road ahead and I am looking forward. ????????????
— Andrew Yang????⬆️???????? (@AndrewYang) June 23, 2021
Scott Stringer, meanwhile, stopped short of officially bowing out.
"When we know and determine who the next mayor's going to be, we're going to get behind that mayor, we're going to support our mayor, we're going to help build a new government," he said.
This is the first time New York City used ranked choice voting, but it has been used 429 times in other U.S. elections. Historically, the first place winner in the first round went on to win in all but 15 cases.
"I myself voted for Eric Adams. I think he's the right mix of understanding complexities of policing a place like New York City, but he's also progressive," voter Karen Friedman Agnifilo told CBS2's Natalie Duddridge.
"I put Maya Wiley as No. 1. I really value her progressive views," voter Owen Tressider said.
"Maybe a Republican can win in New York," said voter Gary Koos.
The Democratic candidate will face off against the projected Republican winner and founder of the Guardian Angels, Sliwa.
"I have to undo what this part-time mayor Bill de Blasio has done to all of us," he told his supporters.
Sliwa beat the one other Republican candidate, Mateo. Since there were only two in that race, ranked choice voting did not apply.
Meanwhile, the mayor was feeling positive about the voter turnout.
"Total turnout 944,000 voters. That, again, especially against the backdrop of everything that happened in the course of last year and this year, that's encouraging," he said.
We likely won't know the official results until the week of July 12, when all ballots, including absentee, will be counted.
The general election is November 2.