Adrienne E. Adams, the former speaker of the New York City Council, is running for lieutenant governor on the Democratic and Working Families Party lines. She faces Todd Hood, who is running on the Vote Affordable, Republican and Conservative Party lines, in the Nov. 3 general election. Rye, Harrison and Rye Brook voters will see the race on their ballots.
Candidate information
- Party: Democratic / Working Families Party
- Residence: New York City (born Dec. 9, 1960, in New York City; raised in Hollis, Queens)
- Education: Bachelor's degree in psychology and early childhood education, Spellman College
- Family: Married to Joseph J. Adams; blended family includes four adult children and eleven grandchildren
- Community affiliations: Member of the NAACP, the National Action Network, the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of New York and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated
Experience and public service
Adams was the first Black person to serve as speaker of the New York City Council. She held the position from January 2022 through December 2025, according to her Wikipedia biography. She represented District 28 on the City Council starting in 2017.
Before entering elected office, Adams served as chairperson of Queens Community Board 12 from 2012 to 2017. She also served on the board of trustees of the Queens Public Library starting in 2015.
She ran for a New York State Senate seat in 2016 and entered the 2025 New York City mayoral race before withdrawing in June 2025.
Adams worked in the private sector for more than a decade. She was a field marketing specialist at MCI Telecommunications from 1988 to 1996, a regional business operations manager at Winstar Communications from 1997 to 2001 and a manager at InfoHighway Communications from 2003 to 2006, according to BallotReady. She also worked as a child development associate instructor at TLL Consulting Inc. from 2011 to 2016.
Her parents were both union workers. One drove trucks for UPS as a Teamster; the other was a New York City corrections officer.
Endorsements
Adams has received the following endorsements, according to BallotReady:
- Working Families Party
- Stonewall Democrats of NYC
- New York State Young Democrats
- Eleanor's Legacy
The Rye-Harrison News candidate questionnaire was sent to Adams' campaign. No response was received as of Oct. 9, 2026. The positions above are drawn from public records and published sources.
