NEW YORK — Mayor-elect Eric Adams and Curtis Sliwa both said Wednesday that their long-friendly relationship will remain warm despite a fiery finish to the general election race for mayor.
“We like each other,” Adams said one day after winning a landslide victory over Sliwa, the Republican nominee. “We’ve ripped and teased each other throughout our entire career. Always. But we never take it personally.”
Sliwa agreed, describing the personal attacks in the race as the work of “two street guys” doing “what street guys do.”
The two men have known each other for decades. And Adams, a former transit cop, spoke out years ago in support of Sliwa’s Guardian Angels patrol group.
But during their mayoral tilt, insults flew readily.
Adams, a Democrat currently serving as Brooklyn borough president, repeatedly likened Sliwa’s campaign to a “circus” and suggested his red beret-wearing rival has been a voice for racism. Sliwa called Adams “pompous” and “arrogant.”
The war of words culminated in a chaotic final debate last week. Sliwa, a former radio host, dispensed with guidelines for the event and instead decided to put on a show: He yelled. He interrupted. He flailed his arms.
Adams told the Republican he was acting like a 4-year-old. Sliwa asked Adams not to be a “robot.”
But after visiting a bodega in Bushwick, Brooklyn, on Wednesday afternoon, Adams acknowledged that he at times stifled laughter during the debate, comparing the back-and-forth to a “comedy skit.”
“He was swinging for the fence — he had nothing to lose,” Adams told the Daily News. “That’s Curtis.”
Despite the mudslinging, the pair shook hands and hugged on stage.
Adams said the true show of their affection came toward the end of the showdown, when both candidates were asked to say something nice about their opponent. Adams praised Sliwa for rescuing more than a dozen cats. Sliwa, who appeared touched, in turn applauded Adams’ vegan diet.
On Wednesday, Sliwa said the two were “in solidarity” on the debate stage. And he added that Adams has his total backing.
“We are really facing some incredibly hard times that he does not deserve to have to inherit,” Sliwa told The News by phone. “He’s going to need all the support of everyone in New York City.”
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