NEW YORK (BN24) — Mayor Eric Adams announced Sunday that he is abandoning his reelection campaign, citing constant media speculation about his political future and the city’s campaign finance board’s decision to withhold public funding from his effort.
In a video released on social media, Adams spoke with pride about his achievements as mayor, particularly highlighting a drop in violent crime during his tenure. However, he acknowledged that external pressures had made continuing his campaign impossible.
“Despite all we’ve achieved, I cannot continue my reelection campaign,” Adams said in the announcement that ended weeks of speculation about his political viability.
The one-term Democrat’s decision represents a dramatic reversal from his repeated insistence just days earlier that he would remain in the contest, telling supporters that everyday New Yorkers do not “surrender” when facing adversity.
Adams’ withdrawal from the race follows a year of mounting challenges that severely damaged his political standing, including his now-dismissed federal bribery case and liberal criticism over his increasingly warm relationship with President Donald Trump. He had skipped the Democratic primary and qualified for the ballot as an independent candidate.
The mayor did not endorse any remaining candidates in his departure announcement but warned against “insidious forces” attempting to use local government to “advance divisive agendas.” He cautioned voters against candidates promoting dramatic systemic changes.
“Major change is welcome and necessary, but beware of those who claim the answer is to destroy the very system we built over generations,” Adams said. “That is not change, that is chaos. Instead, I urge leaders to choose leaders not by what they promise, but by what they have delivered.”
Adams’ exit could potentially benefit former Governor Andrew Cuomo, a fellow centrist who has positioned himself as the only candidate capable of defeating the Democratic Party’s nominee, state Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani. However, it remains unclear whether sufficient Adams supporters would shift allegiance to Cuomo to significantly impact the race dynamics.
Mamdani, 33, would become the city’s youngest and most liberal mayor in generations if elected. He defeated Cuomo decisively in the Democratic primary by campaigning on promises to reduce living costs in one of the world’s most expensive cities.
Republican Curtis Sliwa remains in the race despite facing criticism from within his own party, including Trump’s recent characterization of him as “not exactly prime time” during a media interview.
Governor Kathy Hochul, who has endorsed Mamdani, issued a statement following Adams’ announcement expressing pride in their four-year working relationship and crediting him with leaving the city “better than he inherited it.”
Recent polling illustrated Adams’ challenging position in the race. September surveys by The New York Times and Siena University, as well as Quinnipiac University, showed likely voters favoring Mamdani over Cuomo, with both Sliwa and Adams trailing significantly behind the frontrunners.
The Quinnipiac poll suggested the gap between Mamdani and Cuomo could narrow if Adams withdrew from the contest. The Times/Siena poll indicated that if both Adams and Sliwa exited the race, Mamdani’s advantage over Cuomo could shrink further, though Sliwa has repeatedly insisted he will not quit under any circumstances.
Trump administration intermediaries had recently approached Adams about potentially leaving the race in exchange for a federal government position, aiming to create a one-on-one matchup between Cuomo and Mamdani that might favor the former governor.
Following reports of those discussions, Adams held a news conference pledging to continue his campaign and dismissing Cuomo and Mamdani as “spoiled brats.” He later escalated his criticism on social media, calling Cuomo “a liar and a snake.”
Adams, 65, serves as the city’s second Black mayor. A former New York City police captain and Brooklyn borough president, he took office in 2022 promising to reduce crime and revitalize the city with his signature “swagger” as it recovered from the coronavirus pandemic.
On his primary campaign promise, Adams achieved measurable success. Crime rates that increased after COVID-19 struck the city have returned to pre-pandemic levels, though the extent to which Adams’ policies contributed to this improvement remains debated.
However, Adams’ focus on reducing crime and disorder has been overshadowed repeatedly by corruption scandals, federal investigations and lawsuits alleging extensive favor-trading at the highest levels of city government.
During a tumultuous period last year, his police commissioner, schools chancellor and several deputy mayors resigned following federal raids on their homes, though none have faced criminal charges.
Federal prosecutors brought fraud and bribery charges against Adams in late September, alleging he accepted illegal campaign contributions and travel discounts from Turkish officials in exchange for expediting approvals for Turkey’s diplomatic building and other favors.
Adams denied wrongdoing and pledged to remain in office while fighting the charges. Simultaneously, he began speaking favorably about Trump, who appeared increasingly likely to regain the presidency. Adams defended Trump in media briefings, urged his party to moderate criticism of the Republican, and largely stopped promoting Democratic opponent Kamala Harris.
After Trump’s electoral victory, Adams met with border czar Thomas Homan and pledged city cooperation with aspects of the new administration’s immigration enforcement agenda.
In February, Trump’s Justice Department ordered federal prosecutors in New York to drop charges against Adams, enabling the mayor to assist with the Republican president’s immigration policies.
The extraordinary federal intervention triggered fresh turmoil at City Hall and within the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office, with Adams’ allies suggesting he had negotiated a deal with the White House for his legal freedom.
Adams announced he would skip the June Democratic primary while remaining in the general election race as an independent candidate.
His return to active campaigning this summer brought renewed scandal. In late August, his former top advisor faced fresh bribery charges while serving as a campaign volunteer. Another former aide was removed from the campaign after delivering a potato chip bag filled with cash to a local reporter.
Throughout recent weeks, Adams had rejected mounting pressure to withdraw from the race to improve Cuomo’s chances against Mamdani.
“History is going to be kind to me when I’m out of the political spotlight 10, 15 years from now, and they look over and say: You know what? We got to give this guy his due,” Adams said recently. “That’s what I’m fighting for.”
Adams’ withdrawal reshapes the final weeks of the mayoral campaign, potentially consolidating moderate voters behind Cuomo while Mamdani retains strong progressive support heading toward the November election.
