Michael Rendino, the chair of The Bronx Republican Party, weighed in on Mayor Eric Adams’ chances of running as a republican in the upcoming June primary.

“Now granted, if the president says this is who he wants and he has valid reasons, he can make that happen. I don’t think anyone is going to go up against the president’s choice for the Republican party in New York City, so that is the only shot he has of getting it,” Rendino said.

What You Need To Know

  • In recent weeks, Mayor Eric Adams has been cozying up to President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers, setting off speculation he could switch parties

  • Republicans in New York say it’s mere speculation and that they have not been in conversations with Adams about joining their party

  • The mayor has until Feb. 14 to change political party in time for the June primary. After that date he would need permission from three out of the five county leaders to run on the GOP line in November

Speculation of a possible party switch for the mayor has been rampant recently as Adams has grown increasingly close to President Donald Trump, gone to his inauguration, and recently dined with New York Republican lawmakers in Washington D.C. 

“That might be his only hope for a lifeline, not that there’s one here. I think he’s more worried about a pardon than running on the Republican line. But I’m not in his head right now,” Rendino said.

Rendino said that if the mayor were to become a Republican, one of his biggest challenges is going to be the opening of a large new migrant shelter in the Bronx.

The shelter is set to open in late February and hold up to 2,200 single migrants. 

“He’s shoving down this migrant shelter down Trump voters’ throats because that’s not his base. And I’m not falling for it. The republican voters in the Bronx aren’t falling for it, and I don’t believe President Trump will fall for it,” he said.

Rendino said last week that the mayor hasn’t reached out to any leaders in the five boroughs, but that he would be open to sitting down with him.

Meanwhile, other Republican leaders, like New York State Republican Chair Ed Cox, dismissed any talk of switching parties, calling it: “Mere speculation. It’s catnip for journalists. It’s quite natural from a protocol point of view for the mayor to be reaching out to the president, and that’s what he’s been doing.” 

The mayor has until Feb. 14 to switch parties in time for the June primary. If the mayor remains a Democrat, he would need three of the five local county chairs to grant a waiver for him to run on their party line in November. 

“This city couldn’t be more ready for a Republican mayor. The situation is approaching that of Rudy Giuliani back in the era of windows were getting broken and crime was going up, taxes were going up and the city was in economic trouble and people were moving out,” Cox said. 

“A republican mayor would make a lot of sense at this point in time,” he added.  

Adams still has two more weeks to make a final decision about his party ID.