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The federal probe into the upper ranks of New York City’s movers and shakers is starting to leave some of the city’s management posts abruptly open. Police Commissioner Edward Caban resigned after his electronic devices were seized, several other aides were forced to hand over their devices, and Chief Counsel Lisa Zornberg resigned abruptly over the weekend when Mayor Adams declined her advice to dismiss three of his top aides.
It all has people pondering: what happens if the mayor is forced to step down, eventually? New York City Council Minority leader Joe Borelli (R-NY 51ST) is among those wondering, for a reason. As the Staten Island lawmaker disclosed on 710 WOR’s Len Berman and Michael Riedel in the Morning program, he would throw his hat in the ring, but only if the embattled Adams were to step down.
“This would be the first ever non-partisan, ranked-choice election in the City of New York’s history,” Borelli told Berman and Riedel. “So it’s a very unique opportunity for someone who’s a moderate, Republican, independent, conservative Democrat- anyone who’s not a rank-and-file, leftist Democrat- to run in a race. I think there’s a unique opportunity, one time in the city’s history, to actually have moderate people affect the outcome of the race.”
Borelli expanded on why he likes his chances if the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity drops in his lap. “General elections are not ranked choice. So, if Adams runs his full term, you’ll have a ranked-choice Democrat primary, a ranked-choice Republican primary, and then the two will go head-to-head, and that’s a very difficult race for a Republican to win [but] this is a new dynamic. We’ve never had it before, and anybody saying that I would be the strong underdog is probably right, but at the end of the day they’re just making the best guess they can, based on some factors they’re hoping to happen.”
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