Union Launches $1 Million Ad Campaign Targeting Adams Over NYC Horse Carriage Ban

New York City — The Transport Workers Union Local 100 has launched a $1 million advertising blitz aimed at Mayor Eric Adams over his push to phase out the city’s horse-drawn carriage industry, a move the union says threatens the livelihoods of hundreds of workers and their families.

TWU Local 100 represents approximately 170 horse carriage riders and related industry workers, as well as about 41,000 transit and rail workers and bus drivers across the city. The union’s campaign, which includes ads running in The New York Post among other outlets, comes as the administration seeks to curb the longstanding tourist draw tied to Central Park’s carriage rides. In a statement, TWU President John Samuelsen criticized Adams, saying, “Eric Adams stabbed us in the back.” He accused the mayor of a rapid shift in stance on the welfare of carriage horses, noting a link between Adams’s recent moves and the influence of Randy Mastro, the First Deputy Mayor who previously represented the leading animal-rights group NYCLASS.

The ads, produced by TWU Local 100, depict Adams with a satirical frame, including claims about his past roles and a jab at broader federal investigations that have touched upon his associates. The union says the goal is to counter what it calls a sudden, unexamined pivot toward phasing out the industry. City Hall, while calling Samuelsen’s remarks offensive, confirmed that Mastro previously represented NYCLASS before 2019. Adams’s office has characterized the carriage ban as a matter of public safety and animal welfare, emphasizing that four carriage horses died after incidents in Central Park this summer and reiterating that the proposal is part of a broader effort to align the city’s practices with modern urban realities.

In tandem with the campaign, Adams signed an executive order last week to begin phasing out horse carriages and encouraged the City Council to pass a law banning carriage rides in and around Central Park. Ryder’s Law, named for the horse that collapsed and died, would extend the prohibition to surrounding areas, but it has languished in the health committee since last summer as lawmakers weigh competing concerns about tourism, jobs and animal welfare.

Samuelsen argued that the mayor’s interest in phasing out the industry appears inconsistent with the city’s economic realities and with the welfare of workers who depend on carriage work. “Randy Mastro has a deep connection to the monied interests that support NYCLASS,” he said, suggesting hidden influence behind the administration’s stance. Adams’s team responded that the city’s position reflects the safety and health risks to the public and horses and that the administration is pursuing real solutions that aid workers in the transition, including identifying new employment opportunities. An Adams spokesperson added that the mayor stands with a majority of New Yorkers who support banning horse-drawn carriages, citing a poll that found 71% in favor.

Beyond Adams, four major mayoral candidates have weighed in on the issue. Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani has endorsed a ban, as has Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, who is running on the “Protect Animals” ballot line, and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is running on the independent “Fight and Deliver” line. Former Mayor Bill de Blasio, who previously sought to phase out the practice but met opposition in the City Council, once again faces a city that remains divided over the issue as the November election approaches.

The NYCLASS side has pushed back, with a representative telling The Post that it is preparing a cease-and-desist letter to Samuelsen and TWU Local 100 president John Chiarello to stop what it called “wild lies and defamation” spread on social media and in the media. Edith Birnkrant, NYCLASS spokesperson, argued that TWU’s spending represents workers’ dues being diverted to attack the mayor rather than improving safety or transit experiences. She added that “this isn’t about protecting working people; it’s about protecting a cruel, corrupt industry,” and suggested that carriage owners who misclassify drivers and undermine worker rights benefit from the campaign against Adams.

As the city weighs the competing claims of tradition, livelihoods and animal welfare, the political dynamic remains sharp. Adams’s executive action and the Ryder’s Law proposal place the administration at the center of a broader national debate about urban animal-welfare policy and the role of unions in shaping public policy. The union’s ads underscore a critical question for voters: whether a candidate’s stance on heritage industries should be weighed against evolving concerns about safety, animal welfare and urban planning. The issue has already emerged as a litmus test for the November race, with opponents of the ban arguing that a hasty shift could harm immigrant workers and small-business operators who depend on carriage work for a living, while supporters insist that the city’s green spaces and tourism economy would benefit from modernized regulation.

The ongoing clash illustrates how a single policy issue can become a proxy for broader debates about governance, labor rights and the influence of wealthy donors. As ads continue to run and legislation is debated, observers say the horses and their riders are likely to remain a focal point of the city’s political narrative through the fall campaign.