Eric Adams will stay a one-term mayor after suspending his re-election campaign, an effort delayed by allegations of bribery that denied him public funds and rarely saw him advancing past fourth place in a number of primary polls.
Adams, a former NYPD captain turned Brooklyn politician, announced his decision to suspend the campaign in a pre-recorded video message released across his social media channels on Sunday, with only five weeks to go until Election Day. He’ll be the first one-term mayor since David Dinkins, the first Black man to be elected to lead New York City.
“Despite all we’ve achieved, I cannot continue my re-election campaign,” Adams said. “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.”
“Although this is the end of my re-election campaign, it is not the end of my public service. I will continue to fight for this city, as I have for 40 years since the day I joined the NYPD to make our streets safer and our systems fairer,” he said.
The final weeks of his bid for a potential second term as mayor of New York City were overshadowed by rumors of job offers and off-the-record conversations about how long to remain in the race. Widespread reporting suggested the Trump administration, among others, wanted Adams out in order to clear a better path for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo to defeat the mayor.
Despite those reports, Adams declared his unwavering love of the city and his insistence that no distraction would pull him from the race. That defiance, however, softened in the past week as appeared nearly absent on the campaign trail and signaled a willingness to make the “right decision for the city.”
After opting to avoid the Democratic primary race altogether, Adams’ campaign failed to grab ahold of any momentum that would put him in serious contention with the party’s nominee, Zohran Mamdani.
Adams’ campaign was deeply wounded when he was indicted on corruption charges last year, then developed a warm relationship with Trump that bothered many Democrats in one of the country’s most liberal cities. There was further backlash from Democrats after the Justice Department said it was dropping the case so that Adams could assist with Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Adams’ exit from the mayoral race ostensibly makes the election a three-man competition between Mamdani, Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, and Cuomo, who is running as an independent after losing in the Democratic primary. The mayor’s name, however, will remain on the ballot come Election Day since he exited after the deadline to print them.
The political rivals still in the race shared statements following the news of Adams’ announcement.
“Donald Trump and his billionaire donors might be able to determine Eric Adams and Andrew Cuomo’s actions but they will not dictate the results of this election. 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,” Zohran Mamdani said in a statement.
“Curtis Sliwa is the only candidate who can defeat Mamdani. Our team, our resources, and our funding are unmatched. Most importantly, we have the best solutions to help working people afford to stay in New York City and feel safe,” a spokesperson for the Republican said.
Rev. Al Sharpton, who has been a friend and ally of the mayor for more than three decades, reacted to the news Sunday afternoon.
“Mayor Adams informed me earlier today that he would not seek re-election, and I told him I respected his decision, wished him nothing but the best,” Sharpton said in a statement. “We have been friends for nearly 35 years, and he helped us establish National Action Network in 1991. He has been a friend of NAN year in and year out since, especially over the last almost four years he led City Hall.”
Adams is expected to finish out his term at the end of the year. He won as a Democrat four years ago, in 2021, after serving as the Brooklyn borough president.
The mayor surprised many New Yorkers by sitting out the Democratic primary in June and instead run as an independent. His political side-step followed significant attention after a September 2024 indictment by the federal government over charges of bribery and campaign finance violations. Federal prosecutors alleged he “used his prominent positions in New York City government to obtain illegal campaign contributions and luxury travel.”
