On Tuesday, Nov. 2, New York City residents elected Eric Adams to be their next mayor.

Polls closed yesterday evening at 9 p.m. The Associated Press called the election in Adams’ favor at 9:10 p.m, when polls had Adams with over 50 points above his Republican opponent Curtis Sliwa.

Adams is the current Brooklyn borough president, as well as a former New York City police captain. He will be the second Black man to be elected as New York City mayor. The first was David Dinkins, who was elected as mayor in 1989 and served in the office until 1993 when he was succeeded by Rudy Guliani.

Adams tweeted out his thanks to New York voters shortly after polls closed last night. “To our supporters, volunteers & endorsers of all backgrounds, faiths & from every corner of NYC: Thank you, from the very bottom of my heart, for being a part of our team,” wrote Adams. “Tonight, we celebrate — because tomorrow, the real work begins!”

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted his congratulations soon after news outlets began to call the election for Adams. “A graduate of our public schools. A decorated NYPD veteran. A brave voice for justice in our streets. A bold public servant with Brooklyn spirit and style. [Eric Adams] embodies the greatness of our city. He will be an outstanding mayor. Congratulations, my friend!” wrote the current mayor.

Adams ran on a platform to make New York City more “efficient,” more “effective” and more “equal,” according to his official campaign website. His plans for his term include implementing a “modest” income tax on the city’s multi-millionaires and billionaires. Adams hopes this tax increase will generate $1 billion to $2 billion annually to programs and initiatives intended to help low-income New Yorkers recover financially from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The multi-millionaires and billionaires must pay their fair share to help all of us get through the aftermath of the pandemic, which disproportionately hurt Black and Brown New Yorkers,” Adams’ website states.

Adams has also pledged to empower legal immigrants with voting rights in New York City. “There are more than 3 million immigrants in New York City,” his website states. “The vast majority of these New Yorkers cannot vote in local elections even though many are legal tax-paying residents. By allowing lawfully permanent residents and other non-citizens authorized to work in the United States the right to vote, we will enfranchise nearly 1 million New Yorkers who deserve a say in how their city is run – and who runs it.”

When casting his vote yesterday morning at a Brooklyn polling place, Adams became emotional about his political rise as a Black man who grew up in public housing, according to a report from the New York Times. “We won already,” said Adams. “I’m not supposed to be standing here. But because I’m standing here, everyday New Yorkers are going to realize they deserve the right to stand in this city also. This is for the little guy.”

At his polling place, Adams also declared his intention to defend working-class New Yorkers, according to the New York Times. “The policies that I ran on, they were clear. It’s about being safe. It’s about working on behalf of blue-collar people,” said Adams. “If we abandon blue-collar Americans we’re going to lose our party. I don’t believe we’re going to do that.”

His Republican opponent also visited the polls yesterday, though Sliwa was initially denied entry into his polling place when he tried to bring in one of his 17 cats, according to a report from the New York Times. Sliwa was also asked to remove his campaign jacket before voting, which led to a heated argument with election officials at the polling station.

Sliwa conceded the election to Adams half an hour after the race was called. “I want to concede to Eric Adams,” he told a crowd of his supporters. “I am pledging my support to the new mayor, Eric Adams, because we are all going to coalesce in harmony.”

Adams will take office on Jan. 1, 2022 and begin his term as mayor of New York City.