Top NY Senate Democrat Andrea Stewart-Cousins calls on Mayor Adams to ‘move aside’

New York state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said Saturday that it was time for New York City Mayor Eric Adams to resign.

The Westchester Democrat told the New York Post: “It’s probably time that he move aside,” referring to the mayor. Gothamist confirmed her comments with a spokesperson.

Stewart-Cousins did not call on Gov. Kathy Hochul to remove Adams, but said she supports Hochul “looking at her options seriously.” On Thursday night, Hochul did not rule out the move, saying, “I need some time.”

Reached for comment, a City Hall spokesperson said that Adams was focused on regaining the city’s trust and that “the mayor has been clear, he's not stepping down, he's stepping up.”

The influential state senator’s comments mark an escalation in the political pressure on Adams since the U.S. Department of Justice on Monday ordered federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York to dismiss his corruption case. The Justice Department cited an unusual political rationale for the move, noting that Adams needed to be released from his charges so he could better serve the Trump administration’s immigration agenda.

As prosecutors in the Southern District resigned rather than comply with the order, accusing Adams of accepting an improper political “bargain,” the mayor met with Trump ‘border czar’ Tom Homan. After their meeting Thursday, Adams announced plans to sign an executive order restoring the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Rikers Island, drawing skepticism from legal experts who questioned whether Adams has the unilateral authority to roll back a piece of the city’s sanctuary laws.

Adams appeared Friday with Homan on Fox & Friends, where Homan referenced “the agreement” between the mayor and the Trump administration. Later that day, federal prosecutors in Washington, D.C. filed a motion to dismiss the mayor’s charges. A judge still needs to sign off on the request.

Adams has maintained his innocence of the charges against him.

The saga has put the mayor under mounting scrutiny from within his own political party, with influential figures like the Rev. Al Sharpton saying he has become a “hostage” of the Trump administration.

State Sen. Mike Gianaris, a Queens Democrat and the legislative body's deputy leader, said Friday that Adams "must step down or be removed." Several other members of the legislature have made similar demands. And Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado said Thursday that the mayor should step down.

On Saturday, Stewart-Cousins said Adams’ case had become a distraction from the government’s priorities while the state negotiates its budget.

Hochul has the authority to remove Adams after giving him an opportunity to defend himself.

This story has been updated with a comment from City Hall.