Eric Adams Withdraws from NYC Mayoral Race, Setting Stage for Mamdani-Cuomo Showdown

Adams took office in January 2022.

New York:

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has abandoned his reelection campaign, creating a three-way contest between Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani (a self-described socialist), former Governor Andrew Cuomo (running as an independent), and Republican Curtis Sliwa for leadership of America's largest city.

The 65-year-old Adams, who began his mayoral term in January 2022, released a video on X announcing his withdrawal, though his name will remain on the November ballot. In his announcement, the once-popular mayor highlighted his accomplishments despite facing numerous corruption allegations and criticism regarding his cooperation with President Trump's immigration policies.

"Despite our many achievements, I cannot proceed with my reelection campaign," Adams stated in the video.

"Constant media speculation about my future and the campaign finance board's decision to withhold millions of dollars have made it impossible to raise the necessary funds for a viable campaign."

For the past year, rumors have circulated that Adams wouldn't complete his reelection bid. His campaign suffered significant damage from bribery allegations and liberal backlash over his cordial relationship with President Trump.

Adams bypassed the Democratic primary and secured ballot placement as an independent candidate. The mayoral election is scheduled for November 4, with recent polls showing Adams with less than ten percent voter support.

In his withdrawal statement, Adams offered thinly veiled criticism of Mamdani, who has focused his campaign on addressing high living costs by promising rent regulation, free public transportation, and childcare services.

"While significant change is both welcome and necessary, be wary of those claiming the solution is to dismantle the system we've collectively built over generations. That isn't change—it's chaos," he remarked.

If elected, 33-year-old Mamdani would become the city's youngest and most progressive mayor in decades. He decisively defeated Cuomo in the Democratic primary by campaigning on promises to reduce living costs in one of the world's most expensive urban centers.

Following Adams' announcement, Mamdani directed criticism at Cuomo, who is attempting a political comeback after resigning as governor amid sexual harassment accusations from multiple women.

"New Yorkers deserve better than exchanging one disgraced, corrupt politician for another. On November 4th, we will move beyond politics dominated by wealthy interests and limited vision to establish a government all New Yorkers can take pride in," Mamdani declared.

Speculation has persisted for weeks that Adams would exit the race to create space for 67-year-old Cuomo.

In a social media statement, Cuomo commended Adams for "prioritizing New York City's welfare above personal ambition."

"We face dangerous extremist forces that would harm our city through incompetence or ignorance, but we still have time to prevent this," Cuomo stated.

Political analysts suggest that Adams' decision, coming just 37 days before the election, may be too late to significantly impact the November outcome.

Bloomberg reports that Adams has consistently ranked fourth in a four-candidate field. Even if all his supporters shifted to Cuomo, it likely wouldn't be sufficient to overcome Mamdani's current polling advantage.

"Had this occurred several weeks or months earlier, it would have represented a major shift and significantly boosted Andrew Cuomo's campaign against Mamdani," Evan Roth Smith, founding partner at Slingshot Strategies, told Bloomberg.

Adams' withdrawal "doesn't restructure the race as dramatically as it might have earlier... It's insufficient to completely transform the electoral landscape," Smith added.

Having missed the September 11 deadline for ballot removal, Adams will still appear as an option for voters despite dropping out of the race.