New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced on Sunday that he is dropping his third-party bid for re-election, narrowing the field for November’s election and setting up a three-way race between Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee; Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, the Republican candidate; and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, an independent
Adams, who took office in January 2022, has had a a tumultuous year overall; he faced a federal corruption scandal and criticism over his relationship with the Trump administration. In a nearly nine-minute video posted to his social media, Adams said “I was wrongfully charged because I fought for this city, and if I had to do it again, I would fight for New York again,” and added that he hoped New Yorkers “will see that despite the headlines and the innuendo, I always put you before me.” His name will still appear on the November ballot, with ABC News reporting that it is too late for Adams’s name to be removed.
In the video message, Adams said: “Despite all we’ve achieved, I cannot continue my reelection campaign. The constant media speculation about my future and the Campaign Finance Board’s decision to withhold millions of dollars have undermined my ability to raise the funds needed for a serious campaign.”
Adams also urged his successor to “continue the work we started, lowering the cost of living, investing in quality of life and staying laser-focused on reducing crime and disorder through investments in policing, mental health, substance abuse care, homelessness services and community-based initiatives; he added that “this campaign was for the underserved, the marginalized, the abandoned and betrayed by government. Since then, it has been my honor to be your mayor, and I’m proud to say that we took that victory four years ago and turned it into action, making this city better for those who have been failed by government.”
Adams did not make an endorsement in the video, but took a swipe at Mamdani, arguing that “extremism is growing in our politics … Too often, insidious forces use local government to advance divisive agendas with little regard for how it hurts everyday New Yorkers. Major change is welcome and necessary, but beware of those who claim the answer to destroy the very system we built together over generations. That is not change, that is chaos.”
The announcement from Adams comes just weeks after he dismissed speculation that he would drop his reelection bid. Adams insisted during a Sept. 5 news conference that he was remaining in the race, and was “the only one that can beat [Zohran] Mamdani” – referring to the Democratic frontrunner and former governor Cuomo as “two spoiled brats.”
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