Eric Adams Says He Plans To Be A 'Get Stuff Done' Mayor, Adds He Won't Address Vaccine Mandate Until At Least Jan. 1
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Democratic Mayor-elect Eric Adams is still reveling in his victory over Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa.
Adams is set to become the second black mayor in the city's history.
In some of his first television interviews Wednesday morning as mayor-elect, Adams promised he will be what he calls a "GSD" leader, short for "get stuff done." He said he won't let any politics within the Democratic Party or disagreements get in the way.
Watch Adams' victory speech
Going from Brooklyn borough president to the 110th mayor of the Big Apple, Adams said while his opponents wanted to be heard by New Yorkers, he wanted to be felt, which made the 61-year-old the victor.
"I wanted people to know my story, being a dish washer, having a learning disability, or being arrested as a child going to school at night, or working in a mailroom," Adams said.
READ MORE: New York Election Results 2021
The Democrat will be the city's second black mayor, but while he insists he's progressive, "Practical is progressive, practical is progressive. I am progressive in my policies."
Some local liberal leaders beg to differ, and if you ask some New Yorkers if he is progressive enough for the city?
"Probably not, no. I don't think he was in the top 3 of most progressive candidates that we had," said Dan Littlefield of the Financial District.
"He's not going to be as harsh on reform as, you know, other political candidates could have been," added Jack Brad of Sunset Park.
Adams, a former NYPD captain, has said in the past defunding the police is the wrong message. He is seemingly sticking to that and is promising to immediately bring back the department's disbanded plainclothes unit. Mayor Bill de Blasio was asked Wednesday about that.
"The mayor-elect has a vision and I think it's a well-informed vision, and I'm sure he will do it in a way that he believes in," de Blasio said. "I really trust his instincts and his knowledge. I believe that what we did in the last year was the right thing to do."
WATCH: Political expert J.C. Polanco discusses NYC mayor's race
As far as the city's controversial COVID-19 vaccine mandate goes, Adams remained tight lipped. De Blasio recently implemented it for all city workers, including first responders, but Adams hasn't said if he will end or continue it when he takes over on Jan. 1.
"But look what that does. It says to the mayor, I handcuff him," Adams said. "That is unfair. I would not want someone to do that to me as a man, and I'm not going to do it to this man. Here's an opportunity for him to bring about a resolution, and when I inherit this situation, I'm going to bring about a resolution."
And when asked Wednesday about how President Joe Biden is leading the country, Adams said he's a fan, adding he thinks people realize the president's heart is in the right place.
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