City Comptroller Brad Lander seemingly took jabs at Mayor Eric Adams in front of powerful members of the business, political, and labor community on Thursday morning.

“My definition of good government does not include multiple FBI investigations,” Lander said. “It doesn’t include no-bid contracts for family members and it sure doesn’t include old school protection rackets.” 

What You Need To Know

  • City Comptroller Brad Lander took aim at Mayor Eric Adams and his recent controversies at a breakfast Thursday morning

  • The mayor has been under a microscope in recent weeks following the execution of FBI search warrants at the homes of multiple top officials

  • Lander is running for mayor and at the event presented one of his ideas for tackling homelessness and mental illness

Lander is one of two official Democratic primary challengers to Adams in the 2025 election. The other is State Sen. Jessica Ramos. 

“Not a day goes by when New Yorkers don’t stop me to express their frustration about our city’s direction and the messages are always the same,” he said. “People want a safer, more affordable, more liveable and a better run city.” 

Lander took aim at the Adams administration’s handling of education and housing. 

“I was sitting in the dentist chair in my neighborhood when my hygienist said ‘Mr. Lander I thought every 3-year-old was supposed to get a 3-K slot in our neighborhood, why am I 140th on the waitlist?’” he said.  

“Perhaps the biggest challenge facing New York City is the skyrocketing cost of housing,” he added.

Adams earlier this year announced that 100% of 3-K families that applied to the early childhood program by the deadline had been given a slot.

Meanwhile, the mayor has proposed an ambitious plan for building thousands of new units of housing known as the “City of Yes.” 

Lander has been a vocal critic of Adams for months. Amid the ongoing federal investigations, Lander has amped up his scrutiny. 

“It all adds up to a growing sense of unease, real anxiety about New York City’s economy, our public safety and our future,” he said. “As in the 1970s, some of those forces were beyond our control, but they are compounded every day by the lack of vision from City Hall, by the lack of management to deliver on the basics and now by shattered trust and distraction.” 

NY1 reached out to the mayor’s office for a response to Lander’s comments. We have not heard back. 

Lander, in criticizing the mayor, used the opportunity to present a vision for the future of the city.

“Today I want to propose a partnership with you and make a big I love NYC-scale promise to end street homelessness for severely ill, mentally ill people in our city,” he said.  

Lander seemingly is going to make ending homelessness a top issue of his campaign. He said part of the plan will include involuntarily committing individuals, and creating more safe haven and supportive housing units. 

“Here’s the linchpin, we should reserve a few thousand of our housing vouchers to help this vulnerable population get off the street and into housing right now and connect them with the service dollars we’re already spending and that’s the housing first model,” he said.