VoterLens
Lieutenant Governor of New York
Spelman College—Bachelor's Degree in Psychology
Data last updated 10/26/2026
Adrienne Eadie Adams is a lifelong New Yorker from Queens and the Democratic running mate for lieutenant governor of New York on Gov. Kathy Hochul's 2026 ticket. She made history as the first Black Speaker of the New York City Council, represented Queens' District 28 from 2017 to 2025, and previously worked as a professional/corporate trainer at Fortune 500 companies and as a Child Development Associate Instructor.
Committee Assignments: No committee assignments available.
Her documented healthcare record is mainly from her tenure as New York City Council Speaker and focuses on reproductive healthcare access, abortion rights, maternal health equity, Medicaid-related maternal supports, and reducing racial disparities in care.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Adams supported the NYC Abortion Rights Act, describing New York City as a safe haven for abortion and reproductive care and backing measures to safeguard access after the Dobbs decision.
SourceAdams supported and celebrated an 11-bill maternal health package intended to address maternal mortality and morbidity disparities, especially affecting Black and Latina women and birthing people.
SourceAdrienne Adams emphasizes affordability, economic mobility, workforce development, small-business growth, and industrial-sector jobs. As former New York City Council Speaker and 2026 Democratic lieutenant governor candidate, her economy-and-jobs record includes support for zoning reforms, CUNY Reconnect, industrial planning, and workforce-development investments.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Adams supported the City Council's approval of the City of Yes for Economic Opportunity zoning changes, saying the modified plan would promote small-business growth, preserve manufacturing districts, and support good-paying industrial jobs tied to a clean-energy future.
SourceAdams supported passage of legislation requiring a citywide industrial development strategic plan to expand economic opportunity, support green-energy transition, and create pathways to success through industrial businesses.
SourceUnder Adams's speakership, the Council urged restoring $5.9 million and adding another $5.9 million to baseline CUNY Reconnect at $11.8 million beginning in Fiscal Year 2026 to sustain adult learners' access to degrees and workforce mobility.
SourceAdrienne Adams supports sanctuary-style limits on state and local participation in federal civil immigration enforcement, expanded immigrant legal/services funding, and "Know Your Rights" outreach. As New York lieutenant governor candidate, she has aligned herself with Gov. Kathy Hochul's Local Cops, Local Crimes approach and has criticized ICE access to local facilities such as Rikers Island.
Specific Actions & Proposals
As the Democratic candidate for New York lieutenant governor, Adams touted Gov. Hochul's proposed Local Cops, Local Crimes legislation to bar state and local law enforcement coordination with federal immigration enforcement for non-criminal violations and prohibit local governments from providing resources for civil immigration enforcement.
SourceHochul's administration described the enacted Local Cops, Local Crimes Act and Office of Immigrant Trust as limiting state and local resources for federal civil immigration enforcement; Adams had campaigned in support of this Hochul immigration-enforcement policy package.
SourceAdams stated that as City Council Speaker she led the Council to pass Resolution 714 of 2025, urging state passage of the New York for All Act to ensure state and local resources are not used to facilitate federal immigration enforcement.
SourceAs City Council Speaker, Adams led or joined the Council lawsuit seeking to stop Mayor Eric Adams' executive order allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement office space on Rikers Island, arguing it threatened public safety and sanctuary protections.
SourceAdams announced Council partnership with the New York Immigration Coalition to allocate $2 million to nonprofits for legal support, rapid response, help lines, training, and interpreter access following ICE raids.
SourceAdrienne Adams has generally supported climate action and clean-energy measures through her record as New York City Council Speaker and former council member, including backing building-emissions limits, zero-emission vehicles, and formal climate-planning commitments.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Adams publicly celebrated the signing of legislation requiring New York City to purchase zero-emission light- and medium-duty vehicles after 2025 and transition its municipal fleet to zero-emission vehicles by 2038.
SourceAdams said the Supreme Court's West Virginia v. EPA ruling limiting federal emissions regulation was a major setback and called for urgent climate action to protect frontline communities.
SourceAs Council Speaker, Adams joined the mayor in celebrating zoning changes intended to ease solar panels, energy storage, building electrification, heat pumps, EV charging, and other climate retrofits.
SourceAdrienne Adams has emphasized protecting and expanding public education investments, especially early childhood education, 3-K/Pre-K, community schools, Summer Rising, CUNY pathways, and culturally inclusive K-12 curriculum. Her record as NYC Council Speaker includes advocating for state and city budget commitments to stabilize school funding and expand educational equity programs.
Specific Actions & Proposals
As NYC Council Speaker, Adams urged New York State to increase its commitment to early childhood education, specifically to protect New York City's 3-K program and better support Pre-K.
SourceAdams joined Council leaders in supporting restoration of cuts to Community Schools and Summer Rising while warning against further cuts to 3-K seats.
SourceAdams opposed the NYC Department of Education's decision to reduce individual school budgets based on lower enrollment, arguing schools needed stable resources during the academic year.
SourceAdams helped unveil and support the $10 million Education Equity Action Plan to develop a citywide K-12 Black Studies curriculum in New York City public schools.
SourceAdams made CUNY Reconnect a Council priority, with funding to help adult learners return to college and complete degrees through navigators, financial aid support, and other services.
SourceAdrienne Adams frames public safety as a mix of police staffing/accountability, gun-violence prevention, mental-health response, subway safety, and victim services. As former NYC Council Speaker and 2026 Democratic lieutenant governor candidate, she has supported hiring more NYPD personnel while also investing in community-based safety, trauma recovery centers, crime-victim services, and gun-safety measures.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Adams supported Council-funded trauma recovery centers as public-safety infrastructure to help underserved crime victims recover and reduce cycles of violence.
SourceAdams praised state legislation expanding sensitive areas where guns are restricted, saying it would protect New Yorkers and save lives from gun violence.
SourceAdams supported New York City measures to define concealed-carry restrictions in Times Square and study the flow of illegal firearms into the city.
SourceBallotpedia
https://ballotpedia.org/New_York_gubernatorial_and_lieutenant_gubernatorial_election,_2026Fetched: biography
New York City Council Legistar
https://legistar.council.nyc.gov/PersonDetail.aspx?GUID=07FD8D9C-7F94-4F4E-9E71-5009C671D7F8&ID=188067Fetched: biography
WXXI News
https://www.wxxinews.org/new-york-public-news-network/2026-02-04/gov-kathy-hochul-picks-adrienne-adams-as-her-running-mateFetched: biography
New York State Board of Elections - Certification for June 23, 2026 Primary Election
https://elections.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2026/05/accessible-june-23-2026-primary-certification-amended-4.30.26-.pdfFetched: votingRecord
Associated Press - New York governor picks a new running mate
https://apnews.com/article/a5c37fa5902ecac3fb016635d57edee3Fetched: votingRecord
New York State Board of Elections - Public Reporting System
https://publicreporting.elections.ny.gov/Fetched: campaignFinance
New York City Campaign Finance Board - Follow the Money
https://campaignfinanceboard.us/follow-the-moneyFetched: campaignFinance
New York State Board of Elections - Campaign Finance
https://elections.ny.gov/campaign-financeFetched: campaignFinance
EMILY's List
https://emilyslist.org/news/emilys-list-expands-new-york-electoral-push-with-endorsements-of-adrienne-adams-and-attorney-general-letitia-james/Fetched: endorsements
amNewYork
https://www.amny.com/politics/hochul-urges-new-yorkers-sign-up-utility-relief/Fetched: endorsements
Ballotpedia
https://ballotpedia.org/State_executive_official_elections%2C_2026Fetched: issuePositions
Branch
https://www.branch.vote/races/2026-new-york-primary-election-ny-state-lieutenant-governor-ny-state-d/candidates/adrienne-adams-1Fetched: issuePositions
New York City Council Legistar
https://nyc.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?G=2FD004F1-D85B-4588-A648-0A736C77D6E3&GUID=B1326C42-8086-41D6-B032-1A1335043D16&ID=5669063&Options=&Search=Fetched: issuePositions
New York City Council Legistar
https://legistar.council.nyc.gov/ViewReport.ashx?Extra=WithText&G=2FD004F1-D85B-4588-A648-0A736C77D6E3&GID=61&GUID=087A91B9-931F-4260-B399-20F243A424C6&ID=7409572&M=R&N=Master&Title=Legislation+Details+%28With+Text%29Fetched: issuePositions
New York City Council
https://council.nyc.gov/press/wp-content/uploads/sites/56/2025/10/Maternal_Health_Steering_Committee_REPORT_102925-v530.pdfFetched: issuePositions
Higher Heights for America PAC
https://higherheightsforamericapac.org/candidate/adrienne-adams/Fetched: issuePositions
NYC Mayor's Office
https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2024/06/mayor-adams-celebrates-new-age-economic-opportunity-nyc-passage-city-yesFetched: issuePositions
City University of New York
https://www.cuny.edu/news/council-speaker-adams-and-cuny-chancellor-matos-rodriguez-launch-program-to-re-engage-thousands-of-former-working-age-students-towards-gaining-degrees-that-increase-earning-potential/Fetched: issuePositions
New York City Council
https://council.nyc.gov/press/wp-content/uploads/sites/56/2023/03/03.08.23-Speaker-Adrienne-Adams-SOTC-Address-as-Prepared-for-Delivery.pdfFetched: issuePositions
Spectrum News 1
https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/politics/2026/05/21/adrienne-adams-blasts-bruce-blakeman-in-cny-campaign-stopFetched: issuePositions
New York State Attorney General
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-and-governor-hochul-announce-first-enforcement-action-newFetched: issuePositions
Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club
https://jimowles.squarespace.com/news/candidate-answers-to-joldc-adrienne-adams-for-nyc-mayor-2025Fetched: issuePositions
Associated Press
https://apnews.com/article/eric-adams-rikers-island-ice-nyc-council-4f4ae315058e26013cb76b22aa82ac7bFetched: issuePositions
NY1
https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2025/01/29/city-council-new-york-immigration-coalition-new-assistance-for-immigrantsFetched: issuePositions
New York City Council Legistar
https://nyc.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?GUID=DFFF0B17-6D13-417D-BB96-2D1A69299880&ID=7434014&Options=&Search=Fetched: issuePositions
Food & Water Watch
https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Local-Law-97-Voter-Guide.pdfFetched: issuePositions
NYC Mayor's Office
https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2023/12/mayor-adams-speaker-adams-celebrate-passage-zoning-changes-fights-climate-change-byFetched: issuePositions
New York State Board of Elections
https://elections.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2026/05/accessible-june-23-2026-primary-certification-amended-4.30.26-.pdfFetched: issuePositions
New York City Council Press Office
https://council.nyc.gov/press/2025/02/04/2793/Fetched: issuePositions
New York City Council Press Office
https://council.nyc.gov/press/2024/01/12/2541/Fetched: issuePositions
New York City Council Press Office
https://council.nyc.gov/press/2023/10/26/2488/Fetched: issuePositions
Teachers College, Columbia University
https://www.tc.columbia.edu/marcomm/what-we-do/media/press-releases/2021/press-release-landmark-k-12-black-studies-curriculum/Fetched: issuePositions
City University of New York
https://policy.cuny.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/page-assets/minutes/DRAFTMIN062722.pdfFetched: issuePositions
Adrienne for the People
https://adrienneforthepeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Adrienne-For-the-People-Public-Safety-Platform.5.13.pdfFetched: issuePositions
New York City Council Press Office
https://council.nyc.gov/press/2024/01/03/2535/Fetched: issuePositions
New York City Council Press Office
https://council.nyc.gov/press/2025/12/16/3030/Fetched: issuePositions
New York City Council Press Office
https://council.nyc.gov/press/2022/07/02/2211/Fetched: issuePositions
NYC Mayor's Office
https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2022/10/mayor-adams-signs-two-bills-dam-additional-rivers-feeding-sea-gun-violenceFetched: issuePositions