New York City Mayor Eric Adams has ended his bid for re-election, announcing the decision in a social media video set to the song “My Way.” The announcement comes just over a month before the city’s election.
Adams, who was trailing in the polls, initially ran as a Democrat but switched to an independent campaign after federal corruption charges against him were dropped by the Trump administration in exchange for his cooperation on immigration raids. In the video, Adams spoke from the steps of his residence beside a photograph of his late mother, saying it had become impossible to run a winning campaign. He cited “constant media speculation” and the city campaign finance board’s decision to withhold millions of dollars in matching funds due to suspicious donations.
The mayor acknowledged that the charges against him affected public trust, though he maintained they were unjust. “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,” he said, without detailing how alleged campaign contribution violations and luxury travel from foreign nationals served the city’s interests. Adams will remain in office until the end of his term on New Year’s Eve, and his name will stay on the ballot since the deadline to remove it has passed.
With Adams withdrawing, the mayoral race in New York City narrows to a three-way contest between Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, former Governor Andrew Cuomo, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa. Three weeks ago, Adams had insisted on staying in the race despite reports that the Trump administration offered him an ambassadorship to step aside, making it easier for Cuomo to challenge Mamdani. At the time, Adams criticized Cuomo, calling him “a snake and a liar” and accusing him of pushing Black candidates out of races.
After Adams ended his campaign, Cuomo praised the mayor for prioritizing the city over personal ambition. He warned of “destructive extremist forces” but did not mention Mamdani by name. Mamdani responded with a social media video, accusing Adams of failing to fulfill campaign promises and promising to defeat Cuomo again. “To Andrew Cuomo: you got your wish. You wanted Trump and your billionaire friends to help you clear the field. But don’t forget, you wanted me as your opponent in the primary too. And we beat you by 13 points. Looking forward to doing it again on November fourth,” Mamdani said.
Earlier, Mamdani shared a video of a Black pastor in East New York welcoming him to address a megachurch congregation. The pastor noted that Mamdani would not be the first Democratic Socialist mayor, pointing to the late David Dinkins, the city’s first Black mayor, who was affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America. Sliwa, the Republican candidate, said he had rejected multiple offers of millions of dollars to drop his campaign.
Polls conducted before Adams’ withdrawal showed Mamdani leading Cuomo by more than 20 points, with Sliwa and Adams far behind. Even with Adams out of the race, Mamdani maintains a double-digit lead over Cuomo, indicating strong support for the Democratic Socialist candidate as New Yorkers head to the polls in November.
