Democrat Eric Adams wins New York City mayoral election

Democrat Eric Adams won New York City's mayoral race on Tuesday on promises to boost public safety and give voice to working-class residents, drawing on his experience as a police captain and as a Black man who experienced police brutality as a youth.

Adams, the Brooklyn borough president since 2014, will become the city's second Black mayor after easily defeating Republican Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels civilian patrol.

The 61-year-old Adams takes over in January from Democrat Bill de Blasio, who was term-limited after eight years in office.

Adams will face the task of overseeing the largest US city's nascent recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, as well as confronting wealth inequality, the lack of affordable housing and struggling public schools.

He had been expected to win handily in the overwhelmingly Democratic city.

"We are so divided right now, and we're missing the beauty of our diversity," Adams told supporters on Tuesday night. "Today we take off the intramural jerseys and we put on one jersey, Team New York."