Eric Adams, Under Indictment, Makes His Case for a Second Term

In his fourth and potentially final State of the City speech, Mayor Eric Adams focused on making it easier to raise families in New York City.

Eric Adams, the first mayor in modern New York City history to run for re-election while under federal indictment, used his final State of the City speech before the June primary to make his best case for a second term.

It was, by any measure, a tricky task to pull off.

Appearing at the Apollo Theater in Harlem on Thursday, the mayor highlighted his accomplishments and focused on a theme of making it easier for families to live in the city.

“How can we make sure that the greatest city in the world is also the greatest place to raise a family?” the mayor said, outlining plans to focus on affordability and housing.

The annual address is typically a mixture of political stagecraft and rhetoric that puts a sheen on the mayor’s record and lays out a vision for the future.

But for Mr. Adams, accomplishing those goals will be difficult. He is scheduled to go on trial in April on federal corruption charges; his approval rating has fallen to record lows; nine top city officials have resigned amid a swirl of investigations; violence on the subway and scandal at the Police Department have undermined his agenda.