NEW YORK — After the incoming mayor suggested he may coax Rep. Tom Suozzi to leave his perch at the U.S. Capitol and trade it for a spot in City Hall, the congressman is politely declining while not quite showing all of his cards.
In a tweet, Suozzi said the best way for him to help Mayor-elect Eric Adams succeed in his upcoming role as the city’s chief executive is to serve in elected office, not as a deputy mayor in the Adams administration.
Why would a sitting congressperson even consider leaving for a deputy mayor gig? Well, the payday, perhaps.
As a congressman, Suozzi earns $174,000, according to the New York Post. Deputy mayors make much more, including First Deputy Dean Fuleihan, who earns $291,139 in the de Blasio administration, the Post said.
In the de Blasio administration, there are at least a half-dozen people with the title of deputy mayor.
But Suozzi may have his sights on a chief executive gig of his own. He is rumored to be considering a potential run in New York’s 2022 gubernatorial race. He’s yet to reveal his plans publicly.
If he chose to run, he’d join prominent Democrats like Letitia James, Jumaane Williams and incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul in a primary race.
Suozzi represents New York’s 3rd Congressional District, which includes parts of Suffolk and Nassau counties and a portion of Queens.
Before serving in Congress, Suozzi, a Democrat, served as Nassau County executive and mayor of Glen Cove. He ran unsuccessfully for New York governor in 2006.
Suozzi was reelected to the House of Representatives in 2020.