City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said Wednesday she is joining the race for mayor, becoming the 10th Democrat to announce their candidacy.

"New Yorkers can't afford to live here, City Hall is in chaos, and Donald Trump is corrupting our city's independence. It's time to stand up," Adams said in a statement. "I never planned to run for Mayor, but I'm not giving up on New York City. Our city deserves a leader that serves its people first and always, not someone focused on themselves and their own political interests. I'm a public servant, mother, Queens girl and I'm running for Mayor. No drama, no nonsense — just my commitment to leading with competence and integrity."

Adams is the latest candidate to join the crowded Democratic primary to replace Mayor Eric Adams. Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo joined the field last weekend. The Democratic primary is on June 24.

“She’s very well respected among her peers,” Christina Greer of Fordham University said. “That’s why she was voted as speaker, but that wasn’t a citywide vote. This is someone who hasn’t run citywide in the past, so she’ll have to introduce herself to a diverse group of New Yorkers.”

Adams was first elected to the City Council in 2017. She was elected speaker in 2022, becoming the first Black lawmaker to hold the job. Term limits make this year her last on the Council.

Political experts and observers say she could be a viable alternative, but it’s an uphill climb. Her candidacy comes late, with her campaign practically nonexistent — having to fundraise and prove herself viable quite quickly.

But her team is hoping she will be the choice of New Yorkers dissatisfied with the current candidates — a field of progressives and a couple of scandal-plagued politicians.

Her appeal to Black voters in her home of southeast Queens and nearby Brooklyn could siphon off voters from both Mayor Eric Adams and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

For now, some of her competitors don’t appear concerned.

“Come one, come all,” Mayor Adams said. “How many people were in the shadows for so long, running shadow campaigns, not being scrutinized? They were not being questioned. You didn’t know what their positions were.”

During her tenure as Council Speaker, her legislature has clashed with Mayor Adams repeatedly, including on housing vouchers for the homeless to how much control the Council should have over mayoral appointments.

Seen as a moderate initially, the speaker has taken up progressive causes. As she mounts this campaign, she says she’s above labels.

“Throughout my time in office I’ve been labeled as a moderate in peoples’ attempt to make sense of who I am,” Speaker Adams said. “But my focus has always been public service, which has no political label.”

Her announcement came one day after she gave her State of the City speech from Lincoln Center. The address did not focus on big proposals, but was more reflective of her accomplishments: defending immigrant communities, getting funding to new mothers in city homeless shelters — one of whom introduced her.

The speaker attempted to portray herself as the city official who will take on Trump, in contrast to the current mayor, who critics say is too cozy with the president.

"In his quest for power, Trump is willing to burn everything in his way," she said. "We've been through fire before. We will make it through again by defending our city and fighting for each other."

Adams is expected to host a campaign kickoff rally on Saturday in her home borough of Queens.