With the mayoral election in the rearview, Big Apple politicos have turned their attention to another important contest: the race for City Council speaker.

The current speaker, Adrienne Adams, is term-limited at the end of this year, meaning the body's 51 members must choose her replacement come January. Next to the mayor, the City Council speaker may be the most influential figure in city politics — as the chamber's leader sets the body's agenda, works with other parts of the municipal government, controls what legislation gets voted on, and wields great power in negotiating the yearly budget, which the Council controls.

So far, five candidates are running to replace Speaker Adams, who was first elected to the post in early 2022 and has served for the duration of outgoing Mayor Eric Ada

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