#Battle for southeast Queens heats in up mayor’s race

The battle for black voters in the Democratic mayoral primary is heating up in Queens.

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, one of the frontrunners in the race, was raised in south Jamaica and is seeking to run as the borough’s favorite son.

But he is fending off challenges from former Citigroup executive Ray McGuire and civil rights lawyer Maya Wiley, who have both received endorsements in southeast Queens — one of the city’s largest black population centers.

The communities surrounding Kennedy Airport, heading east toward the Nassau County line, make up 40 percent of the Democratic primary vote in the borough, Democratic sources tell The Post.

McGuire on Monday secured the endorsement of veteran Assemblywoman Vivian Cook, who represents the south Jamaica area where Adams grew up. She also is closely aligned with Rep. Gregory Meeks, the Queens Democratic Party chairman.

“Ray has a strong financial background. People need a lot of help and Ray can lead us in a road to recovery,” Cook told The Post.

“Ray is a straightforward man who looks you in the eyes. I know he’s not lying.”

Wiley, who served as Mayor de Blasio’s chief lawyer, last month scored the support of Assemblyman Khaleel Anderson, who represents the Rockaways and southeast Queens. She also has the backing of Sen. Michael Gianaris, who represents more liberal precincts of Astoria and Long Island City in western Queens.

While Adams was born in Brownsville, he was raised in south Jamaica, where he attended PS 140 and IS 8 and graduated from Bayside HS.

His mom, Dorothy, still lives in the same home in Queens that he grew up in.

“I don’t know how many candidates can say they are the proud son of two boroughs,” said Adams, who spoke of his hard-scrabble upbringing and being bused to a mostly-white Bayside HS in the 1970s.

“Attending Bayside really helped shape who I am as a person,” said Adams. “I have to this day childhood friends from different groups I met at Bayside.”

Adams has the backing of Queens Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar and Councilmembers Daneek Miller and Francisco Moya.

Meanwhile, fellow frontrunner Andrew Yang has been stumping hard in central Queens, which includes the Asian neighborhoods of greater Flushing and communities with sizable Jewish voters — Kew Gardens, Kew Gardens Hills, Forest Hills and Rego Park. Assemblyman Dan Rosenthal and Ron Kim have endorsed him.

City Comptroller Scott Stringer has the support of Queens state Sen. Jessica Ramos, Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz, and Councilmen Costa Constantinides and Jimmy Van Bramer in western Queens.