New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced Sunday that he has ended his campaign for reelection.
In a video released on social media, Adams spoke with pride about his achievements as mayor, including a drop in violent crime. But he said that “constant media speculation” about his future and a decision by the city’s campaign finance board to withhold public funding from his reelection effort, made it impossible to stay in the race. “Despite all we’ve achieved, I cannot continue my reelection campaign.”
The one-term Democrat’s decision to quit the race comes days after he repeatedly insisted he would stay in the contest, saying everyday New Yorkers don’t “surrender.”
But speculation that he wouldn’t make it to Election Day has been rampant for a year. Adams’ campaign was severely wounded by his now-dismissed federal bribery case and liberal anger over his warm relationship with President Donald Trump. He skipped the Democratic primary and got on the ballot as an independent.
Adams capitulation could potentially provide a lift to the campaign of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a fellow centrist who has portrayed himself as the only candidate potentially able to beat the Democratic Party’s nominee, state Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani.
It was unclear, though, whether enough Adams’ supporters would shift their allegiances to Cuomo to make a difference.
Mamdani, who, at age 33, would be the city’s youngest and most liberal mayor in generations, beat Cuomo decisively in the Democratic primary by campaigning on a promise try to lower the cost of living in one of the world’s most expensive cities.
Republican Curtis Sliwa also remains in the race, though his candidacy has been undercut from within his own party; President Donald Trump in a recent interview called him “not exactly prime time.”
