Eric Adams has ended his bid for a second term as New York City mayor.
In a video message, Adams reflected on his time in office but admitted that a federal corruption case, later dismissed, had eroded voter confidence. He said unrelenting “media speculation” made fundraising impossible. “Despite all we’ve achieved, I cannot continue my reelection campaign,” Adams declared on Sunday.
The mayor did not throw his support behind any candidate but warned of “insidious forces” in city government seeking to “advance divisive agendas.” He added: “That is not change, that is chaos. Instead, I urge New Yorkers to choose leaders not by what they promise, but by what they have delivered.”
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Adams’ departure immediately shook the race. Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, casting himself as the only candidate who could block state Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, may now benefit from Adams’ exit. But it is unclear how many of Adams’ supporters will transfer their loyalty to Cuomo.
Mamdani, 33, would be the youngest and most left-leaning mayor in decades if he wins. He trounced Cuomo in the Democratic primary by pledging to lower living costs in one of the world’s most expensive cities. In his statement Sunday, Mamdani blasted Cuomo: “New York deserves better than trading in one disgraced, corrupt politician for another. On November 4th, we are going to turn the page on the politics of big money and small ideas and deliver a government every New Yorker can be proud of.”
Cuomo, for his part, praised Adams for “putting the well-being of New York City ahead of personal ambition,” adding, “We face destructive extremist forces that would devastate our city through incompetence or ignorance, but it is not too late to stop them.”
Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa remains in the contest, though President Donald Trump recently dismissed him as “not exactly prime time.” Polls conducted in early September showed Mamdani ahead of both Cuomo and Sliwa, while Adams trailed even before his withdrawal.
Adams’ undoing began long before Sunday. His administration weathered resignations by top officials, federal raids, and a bribery case accusing him of accepting favors from a Turkish official. Though the Justice Department later ordered prosecutors to drop the charges, speculation swirled that Adams had cut a deal with Trump’s White House, a perception fueled by his public warmth toward the former president.
Despite the turmoil, Adams stayed on the ballot as an independent after skipping the Democratic primary. His final months were plagued by additional scandals, including bribery allegations against a former adviser and revelations of questionable campaign cash.
The mayor, 65, made history as New York City’s second Black leader when he took office in 2022. A former police captain and Brooklyn borough president, he ran on a promise to restore public safety after COVID-19. Crime rates later fell to pre-pandemic levels, though whether that was due to his policies remains disputed.
Adams, however, never recovered from the political damage of corruption probes and shifting alliances. On Sunday, his campaign ended, not with a rally or fiery speech, but with a quiet video conceding defeat.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has endorsed Mamdani, reflected on Adams’ tenure after his announcement: she said she was proud to have worked with him and credited him with leaving the city “better than he inherited it.”
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