Eric Adams wins NYC mayor race as Michelle Wu makes history in Boston

NEW YORK (AP) — Former police captain Eric Adams simply gained the race for New York mayor Tuesday, and Boston elected its first girl and Asian American to the town’s prime job as voters throughout the US picked native leaders who had been largely outlined by their stances on police and crime.

Adams, who will turn into the second Black mayor of the nation’s largest metropolis, first triumphed this summer time in a crowded Democratic major after he struck a nuanced stance on legislation enforcement points. His message on crime and his expertise as a police officer largely insulated him from assaults from his Republican opponent Curtis Sliwa, the founding father of the Guardian Angels anti-crime patrol.

He described being crushed by cops as a teen when he was arrested for trespassing. When he later turned a cop, he was a vocal critic of the police division, advocated for Black officers and spoke out about injustices. However he didn’t embrace calls from some progressives to defund the police by shifting cash from legislation enforcement to social work and different packages geared toward addressing the basis causes of crime.

In Boston, Michelle Wu espoused a extra liberal method to policing and known as for larger reforms, however her history-making win got here in a marketing campaign dominated extra by debates about points resembling inexpensive housing.

Police and crime points got here to the forefront in cities massive and small after the dying of George Floyd final 12 months led to a nationwide looking on racial injustice and legislation enforcement. The talk centered on questions of when and the place police are wanted — or generally whether or not they’re wanted in any respect. It additionally unfolded amid a rise in homicides within the wake of the pandemic.

In some massive cities, worry or a want for a middle-ground method elevated candidates seen as extra supportive of legislation enforcement or who rejected liberal calls to defund the police. In Minneapolis, the place Floyd was killed, voters had been selecting a brand new mayor. In addition they rejected a proposal that might have upended legislation enforcement practices by changing the police division.

Boston Mayor-elect Michelle Wu addresses supporters at her election evening occasion, November 2, 2021, in Boston (AP Picture/Josh Reynolds)

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat, defended the police division in opposition to calls to dismantle it. On Tuesday, he was combating to maintain his job in opposition to 16 challengers, with essentially the most critical contenders operating to his left. Frey had about 43% of the vote Tuesday, properly forward of the closest challengers however nonetheless wanting the 50% wanted to win outright.

Below the town’s ranked-choice system, election officers had been to start sorting second and third-place decisions Wednesday to allocate them to candidates.

Frey’s prospects could also be linked to the poll query that requested voters whether or not they wish to change the police division with a Division of Public Security. Frey opposed the change, however his prime two challengers supported it.

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Mayor Jacob Frey offers a speech on the Jefe City Cocina restaurant on November 2, 2021 in Minneapolis (AP Picture/Christian Monterrosa)

On the opposite aspect of New York state, the mayoral race in Buffalo put India Walton, a democratic socialist, in a rematch with incumbent Mayor Byron Brown, the town’s first Black mayor and a Democrat who misplaced the first to Walton this summer time.

Brown ran as a write-in candidate with assist from legislation enforcement and criticized Walton for her plans to chop $7.5 million from the police division funds. She mentioned the plan was geared toward addressing the basis causes of crime. Brown mentioned the transfer is “clearly defunding police.”

Brown gave a victory speech Tuesday evening, although it was nonetheless too early for The Related Press to declare a winner. He mentioned voters had spoken “in opposition to these calling for ill-conceived insurance policies that might reverse our progress and undermine the long run stability of our metropolis, our state and in reality, our nation.”

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown speaks to supporters at his election evening occasion, November 2, 2021, in Buffalo, New York (AP Picture/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

In Atlanta, Metropolis Council President Felicia Moore superior to a runoff within the mayoral contest that was dominated by fears over rising crime charges and a spate of high-profile killings. Moore cited rising crime as a motivation for her marketing campaign.

She’s going to compete in a November 30 runoff, but it surely was not clear Tuesday evening who would seize the second spot. Former Mayor Kasim Reed, who’s looking for a return to workplace, additionally cited the crime surge as motivation for his marketing campaign for a 3rd time period. He instructed voters that the low crime charge throughout his tenure and the a whole lot of police workplaces he as soon as employed make him the only option.

Different main candidates spoke about including extra cops and pressured the necessity to concentrate on the basis causes of crime, resembling inexpensive housing and unemployment.

Felicia Moore, Atlanta Metropolis Council president and mayoral candidate, greets supporters at her election evening occasion Nov. 2, 2021 in Atlanta (AP Picture/Ben Grey)

In Seattle, mayoral candidate Bruce Harrell, a former metropolis council member who has known as for hiring extra cops to stem an increase in shootings, was main opponent M. Lorena González.

González, the town council president, has known as for an overhaul of the police division, which is beneath federal supervision for a sample of extreme power and proof of biased policing.

Whereas Harrell held a robust lead Tuesday evening, it may very well be days earlier than there’s a transparent winner as mail-in ballots, which are inclined to favor liberal candidates, are obtained and counted within the coming days.

In Boston, Wu and her opponent, fellow council member Annissa Essaibi George, mainly clashed over points resembling inexpensive housing, public training and transportation. However variations on policing and crime additionally emerged between the 2 Democratic girls within the nonpartisan race.

Annissa Essaibi George addresses supporters at her election evening gathering following her marketing campaign for Boston mayor, Nov. 2, 2021, in Boston (AP Picture/Paul Connors)

Wu, a daughter of Taiwanese immigrants and a protégé of liberal Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, had known as for main police reforms. Earlier than she was a candidate, Wu joined different metropolis council members in calling for a ten% minimize to the police division’s funds.

Essaibi George, who describes herself as Polish-Arab American, had opposed reallocating the cash and has known as for hiring a number of hundred extra cops. She was endorsed by former Boston police Commissioner William Gross.

Even in Waterloo, Iowa, with a inhabitants of about 68,000, policing and race turned a flashpoint within the mayoral race.

The town’s first Black mayor, Quentin Hart, gained reelection regardless of being falsely painted by critics as an opponent of policing. Hart confronted vicious criticism for months from a political motion committee known as Cedar Valley Backs the Blue, which was fashioned by retired Waterloo cops.

The group blasted the town’s transfer this 12 months to retire the police division’s longtime griffin brand — which appears to be like just like a KKK dragon — and sought the resignation of the town’s first Black police chief, an in depth Hart affiliate.

Hart’s opponent, white metropolis council member Margaret Klein, campaigned as a supporter of cops and gained the group’s endorsement.