Democrat Eric Adams has served as the Brooklyn Borough President since he was elected in 2013.

Previously, he was in the state Senate where he was the first person of color to chair the Senate's homeland security committee.

Adams got his start in public service, however, when he joined the New York Police Department.

He says he's been through a lot, so he knows how to help people who are also going through a lot. Adams explained how he would use his experience to lead the city:

"This is a challenging time for people. I know what it is to be a low paid employee, I was a dishwasher as a child. I know what it is to attempt to work your way through school ... I know what it is to be on the verge of homelessness.

I know what it is to have distrust in policing. I was arrested and beat by police officers, but I didn't say, 'Woe is me.' I said, 'Why not me?' I got myself up and went into the department, and moved up through the ranks and fought for change... The prerequisite for prosperity is public safety...

I know there is a lot of distrust and the goal is we must, number one, deal with the public safety aspect of it. I will reinstitute the anti-crime unit and turn it into an anti-gun unit because we must get gun violence under control. Second, we must rebuild that trust with police officers and the communities that they are serving and protecting. And one major way I think we can do it is by allowing community residents to pick and choose their precinct commanders.

We have to get COVID under control... We need to make sure that the stimulus dollars hit the ground in our small businesses.

I am a blue-collar candidate, nothing fancy about me... It is time for an everyday New Yorker that knows every dollar we earn should put food on the table of New Yorkers and should invest in our future."