This article is adapted from our Feb. 6 edition of RANKED CHOICES, THE CITY’s weekly election newsletter. Click here to sign up.

Dear New Yorkers,

How does it feel to be first in line for mayor, especially when the person in front of you is Eric Adams, first-ever sitting mayor to be charged with federal crimes?

I asked Public Advocate Jumaane Williams about that last week. According to the City Charter, he’s the guy who would take over if Adams steps down, gets ousted or leaves the seat for any reason before his term ends.

Williams said he first gave that possibility serious thought back in September, when Adams’s former chief counsel Lisa Zornberg resigned late on a Saturday night, weeks before the mayor was indicted. 

“That’s when we made sure that we had a plan for every eventuality,” Williams said. “But still, even then, you don’t know what’s going to happen.” 

(Zornberg, for her part, walked briskly away from me when I spotted her on an uptown 6 train in November. She hasn’t spoken publicly about her departure but has since ed a private law firm.) 

The public advocate’s role as mayoral successor came into sharper focus this week when the mayor, taking “off-topic” questions from reporters for the first time in two weeks, shared why he had a light schedule last week. 

The answer was … very confusing.

After saying he had to undergo anesthesia last week — which his press secretary later said was for a colonoscopy —- his office then claimed that procedure actually happened on Jan. 3. When those results came back weeks later, his staff said, Adams’ doctor ordered him to take it easy and undergo two tests — an MRI, bloodwork, and a test for stomach ulcers.

After all this news dropped on Wednesday, Williams said he was “deeply disturbed” that the mayor didn’t notify the public — or him, the charter-mandated next-in-line — that he was temporarily incapacitated by the anesthesia, whenever it was.

The mayor’s office said at the time that First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer was briefly in charge while Adams was under.

“He has long demonstrated a tendency to test how far he can go in bending or breaking rules, and this is a clear example,” Williams said in a statement yesterday.

“Failing to communicate in this case is irresponsible at best and deceptive at worst.”

The mayor’s absence also prompted a flurry of rumors that he was reg, which the mayor has ionately denied. 

If you’re curious, here’s our guide about what is supposed to happen when a mayor steps down or is thrown out. 

And as we think about who is preparing runs replace Adams, here’s our latest mayoral candidate interview on the FAQ podcast — with State Sen. Zellnor Myrie from Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

“I think New Yorkers are a lot of things, but we’re not stupid,” Myrie said of his quest to take over the top job. “We can see what is happening in City Hall.” 

What questions do you have about the election and voting? Reply back to this email or send your questions to [email protected]. We love hearing from you!

— Katie Honan and THE CITY’s election team

What We’re Reading …

• Where do the city’s political donors live? You can explore this map to see exactly that, created in a collaboration from the city’s Campaign Finance Board and the Center for Urban Research at the CUNY Graduate Center. 

• Don’t forget: We’re going to be voting for borough presidents this year, too! Here’s coverage from the Riverdale Press of why Councilmember Rafael Salamanca Jr. is running to be The Bronx’s BP.

• City Councilmember Justin Brannan, who wants to be the city’s next comptroller, picked up endorsements from the Transport Workers Union and Teamsters Local 831, which represents sanitation workers. It’s the first big union endorsement in that race. (We’ll write more soon about why big labor endorsements can matter a lot in local races.)

• Prosecutors pointed to a wider probe in the bribery case against Adams’s former top aide.

What’s Ahead … 

Days until the June primary: 138 

Feb. 14: Deadline to choose a party before the primary. Pick your party before it’s too late!

Your Election Questions, Answered

❓Ilaria M. asked: I know the deadline to switch/choose a party is Feb. 14, but what about if I am ing for the first time? I won’t be eligible to until March 6. Does this mean I wouldn’t be able to participate in the primary?

Answer: Not to worry! The Feb. 14 deadline is for people who are already ed to vote. If you are a new voter who is ing in New York for the first time, that deadline does not apply to you. You can choose a party (or not) when you to vote. Just make sure you before June 14 — that’s the voter registration deadline for the primary.

Have a question for our election team? Reply back to this email or send your questions to [email protected].

THE CAMPAIGN KICKER: Due dates are coming up next week for applications to your neighborhood on both roles.