Adrienne Adams

Adrienne Adams, 65, is from Queens and earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Spelman College and an honorary doctorate from CUNY's York College. She served as Speaker of the New York City Council from 2022 to 2025 and is Gov. Kathy Hochul's running mate. She says affordability would be a top priority and has supported a guaranteed basic income for young New Yorkers. She supports border safety and prosecuting serious crimes, but says enforcement has also reached people with no criminal records. She acknowledges crime statistics have improved while saying many residents still feel unsafe, and is endorsed by Giffords for her gun-violence prevention work. The lieutenant governor's role is largely limited to succeeding the governor and presiding over the State Senate.