Adams was heavily supported by business interests and real estate in particular. However, that was not the primary reason he won the Democratic primary, nor does it mean he will be in developers’ pockets when he takes office in January: His campaign platform calls for “aggressive” housing construction, but he has also blamed development for increasing rents in communities of color, criticized Brooklyn developers and recommended slashing the height of proposed towers that were opposed by NIMBY groups.

Adams, the Brooklyn-born son of a house cleaner and a butcher, and former captain in the ...