Top Dems push for Tish James to run for NYC mayor if Eric Adams is ousted

Top Democrats are pushing for state Attorney General Tish James to be ready for a special election run for mayor — in case embattled Mayor Eric Adams leaves before the end of his term.

Party leaders are rallying behind James over fears a special election could send the Big Apple into further turmoil, as liberal lawmakers line up for a potential race and ex-gov Andrew Cuomo eyes a political comeback.

“People are galvanizing around Tish. There are a lot of people interested in Tish running for mayor,” state Democratic Party Leader Jay Jacobs told The Post Monday about a “what if” scenario.

Jacobs – who has not called for Adams to resign as he faces federal charges – said party leaders “don’t have much of an appetite” for Cuomo, who resigned in 2021 amid sexual harassment claims and as accusations mounted that his administration botched its COVID-19 response then covered up to avoid responsibility for the death toll.

“You open a whole can of worms with Cuomo,” he said. “I don’t know if we would want to revisit that.”

One Democratic insider added that the difference between Cuomo and James is that “people actually like Tish.”

“Andrew has more baggage than the current mayor,” the insider said.

Some sources said Gov. Kathy Hochul’s camp reached out to James recently to see if she’d be interested in jumping into a special election if Cuomo were to step in — but James denied she had spoken to directly to the governor on the topic.

“No, she didn’t reach out to me,” James told The Post as she was in the Hudson Valley stumping for Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY).

“I don’t believe in speculation. Right now, I’m focused on the office of the Attorney General,”’ she added, though she didn’t close the door on a potential mayoral run.

People close to her also haven’t denied conversations amongst their teams took place.

The potential newcomer to the already crowded field for mayor comes days after The Post was first to report that Hochul’s lawyers have begun researching how to go about using a rarely executed portion of the state law that allows her to potentially kick the mayor out of office. 

If ousted, the city’s Public Advocate Jumaane Williams would fill the seat under city charter until a special election — a shift that few in political circles would want long term.

“Jumaane is not the answer,” one source said of the idealist progressive, adding “the ideal situation would be him over the 90 days before a special election and James taking over.”

James would likely square off against State Sen. Jessica Ramos, State Sen. Zellnor Myrie City Comptroller Brad Lander and his predecessor Scott Stringer.

But another source familiar with the AG’s thinking said she doesn’t think Adams is going anywhere and doesn’t have any plans on running at this point.

“Frankly it’s astounding how Andrew Cuomo continues to live rent free in Kathy Hochul’s head. Her political weakness knows no bounds,” a source close to Cuomo said.

James’ entry to the race, especially in a special election that is not ranked choice, could consolidate support amongst progressives while giving donors and other powerful interests a known quantity to support who isn’t the much-derided former governor.

Pundits think James can uniquely bring together a large swath of centrist Dems and those on the left as well as more moderate blacks, latinos and Jews.

James won her first race for City Council solely on the Working Families Party line against a Democrat. The Brooklynite also has connections to Jewish communities in Brooklyn.

While Adams fights for his political life, business interests and other allies are beginning to ask questions as they grapple with the uncertainty clouding Big Apple politics with his bombshell indictment on bribery and wire fraud charges.

Paul Zuber, executive vice president of the Business Council of New York State, said he has spoken with business leaders who are taking a “wait and see” approach with Adams, but are starting to ask questions about what comes next.

“I think that what business is trying to do is they’re trying to figure out what’s next, and with that there’s a level of uncertainty which is never good for business,” Zuber said.

“There’s known quantities out there and everybody has their plus and minuses,” he added.

For his part, Cuomo has already been working for weeks and months to shore up critical support amongst Jewish and black leaders – constituencies that Adams relied heavily upon to propel him into Gracie Mansion in 2021.

“The Jewish community is very anxious for Cuomo to jump into the race. A lot of us will jump in for him,” one Jewish leader said in a recent interview.

James has been rallying support for Dems and their attempts to pass an Equal Rights Amendment ballot measure in recent weeks. Last week alone she appeared at rallies in Buffalo, Westchester County and Poughkeepsie.

James has enjoyed a rising profile amongst Dems in the Empire State and nationally in recent years. Though she backed out of a short-lived 2021 primary against Hochul, her name is regularly floated in political circles as a candidate for higher office. That includes a potential 2026 rematch against an unpopular Hochul.

For her part, Hochul is navigating an intense and difficult political situation following Adams’ indictment. In a statement released late Thursday after the indictment was released, Hochul effectively laid down a marker and gave Adams a few days to prove he can still do his job. 

Hochul told reporters Monday that she has spoken with the mayor and that she believes New Yorkers’ confidence in him is “wavering.”

“I’m giving the mayor an opportunity now to demonstrate to New Yorkers and to me that we are righting the ship that we have the opportunity to instill the confidence that I think is wavering right now,” she said.

Hochul also noted she’s been in touch with Al Shaprton, a powerful voice in the black community who has yet to split with Adams.

“I have a lot of respect for Rev. Al Sharpton. I speak to him often and I respect his leadership and I will continue to work with him,” Hochul said.