Brad Lander responds to Eric Adams' criticism of NYC mayoral run

NEW YORK (PIX11) -- While the New York City mayoral race is more than a year away, candidates are already lining up to challenge Mayor Eric Adams.

Comptroller Brad Lander announced he is running for mayor. He is currently the only city-level official to join the race.

Adams addressed Lander's announcement this week by saying officials should be more focused on the presidential election than running for mayor.

"I think we need to be focused on electing Vice President [Kamala] Harris, and that is what I am focused on. I think he is going to join me once he sees the importance of that," said Adams.

Lander sat down with PIX on Politics host Henry Rosoff to respond to Adams' comments, saying he can be focused on supporting Vice President Harris while setting his sights on the mayoral race.

"I endorsed Kamala Harris about an hour after President Joe Biden announced he was passing the torch, while Mayor Adams said on every news show that he wasn't sure he could support her and was criticizing administration policy. I'm glad he has come around to supporting Kamala Harris," said Lander.

"It is possible to campaign for her to be president, which I am doing, but to also run the city better and that is what the mayoral election will be about. What New Yorkers want is a safer, more affordable, and better-run city and that's the mayor's job and he is not getting it done. I will be campaigning for Kamala but also putting out a vision for a better-run city," Lander added.

Watch the video player for the full interview.