In the New York City mayor’s race, many of the candidates trying to displace former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo from his front-runner status are deploying a new strategy.

They contend that Mr. Cuomo is just like the current mayor, Eric Adams — which, in many New Yorkers’ view, is an unflattering comparison.

And yet their similarities keep piling up.

Mr. Adams has steered New York City in a more conservative direction after eight years under the left-leaning Mayor Bill de Blasio. If Mr. Cuomo wins, he is expected to keep the city firmly in the ideological center.

Both are moderate Democrats who delight in attacking the left wing of their party. They have similar plans to get mentally ill people off the streets. They oppose rent freezes and support charter schools. They share more than 200 donors, including powerful real estate leaders.

When Mr. Cuomo recently decided to create his own independent third party to run on an extra ballot line in the general election, Mr. Adams — who is also collecting signatures for a third-party run in November — appeared irritated.

“All he’s doing is looking at Eric Adams’s playbook,” the mayor said earlier this month at City Hall, adding: “He follows my housing plans. He follows my mental health plans.”