It was a strange campaign. For months the many candidates met at forums via Zoom. Andrew Yang, a former Democratic presidential candidate, led at first, before a limited knowledge of city affairs caught up with him. As Mr Adams surged, his rivals tried to turn his anti-crime message against him. "Eric thinks the solution to every problem is a badge and gun," said Maya Wiley, a progressive candidate who placed third. He had other liabilities, including having been a Republican for a time, and he committed his share of gaffes, such as telling gentrifiers to "Go back to Iowa". His biggest donors are from the real estate industry, with which he built ties as borough president, a job that gave him influence over land use. Those relationships are likely to draw continued scrutiny. But in the primary even questions over whether he actually lived in New Jersey did not seem to hurt him.

For years the key to winning City Hall was to build a coalition outside Manhattan, particularly among white voters. That was how Ed Koch won in the 1970s and 1980s and how Rudy Giuliani won in 1993. Mr Adams also focused on the outer boroughs, but he built a multi-racial coalition of African-American, Dominican, Latino and Jewish New Yorkers. He also enlisted labour groups and pastors. He courted working-class voters with an unpretentious style, drawing a contrast with the current mayor, Bill de Blasio, who gets driven to the gym. Mr Adams intends to cycle, take the subway and even do laundry himself. Saying that "if we don't educate, we will incarcerate," he pledged to increase the number of charter schools, independently operated public schools which appeal to parents frustrated with the traditional system.

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