Adrienne Adams on the strength of a "2 moms" ticket in the New York governor's race
Adrienne Adams, the former New York City Council speaker, is now the other half of Gov. Kathy Hochul's so-called "two moms" slate as her running mate for lieutenant governor.
Adams said having two women atop the Democratic ticket for the first time in 2026 sends a strong message to voters, during an interview Sunday on CBS News New York's "The Point."
"I think that it is quite the model for the rest of the nation, and, I keep saying, what took us so long?" she said.
Adams, who finished fourth in the crowded Democratic primary for mayor in 2025, added that women, in her experience, take a noticeably different approach to governing than men.
"Women have a different perspective. We lead very differently, and that's not to put men down of course. We just lead very differently. We govern differently. We manage differently," she said.
"Prioritizing differently"
Adams, the City Council speaker from 2022-2025, said she believes it is going to take a "two moms" approach to keep New York's affordability crisis in focus.
"As two women leading the state of New York, bringing our perspective, prioritizing differently and putting working families first and children first, our communities first ... the most vulnerable populations first, is very, very important," she said.
Early polling put Hochul ahead of Republican Bruce Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, but the race could tighten as Election Day gets closer.
Pied-à-terre tax outside NYC?
Like her successor in the NYC Council, Adams supports Hochul's proposed pied-à-terre tax on expensive second homes owned by people who are not New York residents to fund an affordability agenda.
"These can be folks that can come in maybe a few times a year, but still have these beautiful, luxurious, multi-million-dollar residences, oh my god, just sitting empty for the majority of the time," she said. "I think that it is fair to ask these folks to contribute a little bit more."
The governor's tax proposal, championed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, only targets homes worth over $5 million in the five boroughs. But there's been some movement in Albany to include other parts of the state, like the Catskills and the Hamptons, where suburban lawmakers say they too need extra money to fix roads and bridges.
"I don't necessarily disagree with that premise at all because, theoretically, they're absolutely right," Adams said. "People with these secondary residences, that can afford these luxurious secondary residences, should absolutely contribute to the wellbeing of New York."
To watch the full interview with Adams, click here.
