Eric Adams will officially be a one-term mayor.
Hizzoner announced in an 8-minute video posted online Sunday that he is suspending his independent re-election campaign. His bid had slowed to a crawl in recent days after being repeatedly denied public campaign financing and polling in last place for weeks in the four-way race.
“Despite all we’ve achieved, I cannot continue my re-election campaign,” Adams said, blaming bad press and an inability to gain public matching funds for paralyzing his campaign.
“The constant media speculation about my future and the CFB decision to withhold millions of dollars have undermined my ability to raise the funds needed for a serious campaign. I hope that over time, New Yorkers will see the city thrive under our leadership, and policies that we have put in place should be continued and expanded.”
In the video, Adams made the announcement while sitting on a Gracie Mansion stairwell next to an enlarged portrait of his late mother.
“It has been my honor to be your mayor, and I’m proud to say that we took that victory four years ago and turned it into action, making this city better by those who have been failed by government,” the mayor said, touting his accomplishments in building more housing “in one term than any administration before us,” driving crime down to record-lows in shootings and murders, and a post-pandemic economic recovery.
It was not immediately clear what Adams will do next.
The bombshell announcement changes the complexion of the NYC mayoral race, making it a three-person contest between Democratic mayoral nominee and clear frontunner Zohran Mamdani, independent candidate and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa. Polls have had Mamdani ahead, but without majority support among voters.
Adams did not endorse any of the three remaining candidates, but expressed hope that “whoever follows me at City Hall continues the work we started” in areas including reducing crime, improving both affordability and the quality of life.
The mayor also expressed a warning about extremism “growing in our politics.” He seemed to take a swipe at Mamdani, without naming the democratic socialist state lawmaker, over the Democratic nominee’s campaign trail promises to make the city more affordable by greatly expanding no-cost services.
“Major change is welcome and necessary, but beware of those who claim the answer is to destroy the very system that we’ve built together over generations. That is not change; that is chaos,” the mayor said. “Instead, I urge New Yorkers to choose leaders not by what they promise, but by what they deliver.”
With Adams now out of the picture, Cuomo has the opportunity to consolidate support and gain ground on Mamdani — as both Adams and Cuomo had largely courted moderate and independent voters. But with Sliwa still in the race, recent polls suggest the impact on the final outcome of the contest could be minimal.
Cuomo’s spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The tremors of this political earthquake began earlier this month when The New York Times first reported that the Trump administration had approached both Adams and Sliwa with job offers to get them out of the race. It seemed to reflect the president’s wishes for the mayoral race; Trump said he preferred it to be “a one-on-one contest” between Mamdani, whom he disparaged as a “communist,” and another competitor.
Adams repeatedly denied those reports; at a hastily-called press conference at Gracie Mansion on Sept. 5, the mayor insisted he would stay in the race to the very end, charging that he was the only one in the field who could beat Mamdani.
Mamdani, meanwhile, has charged that Cuomo has been actively working with the president to better his position in the race. Cuomo has repeatedly batted away the allegation and insisted he does not want Trump’s help — but that Adams’ and Sliwa’s decision to remain in the race was ultimately up to each candidate.
Mamdani directly linked Adams’ move to Trump and Cuomo in a Sunday afternoon statement.
“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,” Mamdani said. “New York deserves better than trading in one disgraced, corrupt politician for another. On Nov. 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.”
For Sliwa’s part, he has maintained that he was not contacted by the White House and would not take a post in the administration if offered one. The Republican firebrand did accuse unnamed Cuomo allies of attempting to bribe him with a job or hefty cash payment to bow out of the race — accusations that Cuomo strongly denies.
In a statement, Sliwa campaign spokesperson Daniel Kurzyna, defiantly insisted that he is the “only candidate who can defeat Mamdani.”
“Our team, our resources, and our funding are unmatched,” Kurzyna said. “Most importantly, we have the best solutions to help working people afford to stay in New York City and feel safe.”
Adams’ announcement ends a campaign that began in the summer after the incumbent mayor stayed out of the Democratic primary. His popularity tanked in recent months following a corruption indictment a year and two days ago that the Trump Justice Department had dropped earlier this year under dubious circumstances.
In most polls, Adams had been lagging far behind Mamdani, and even Sliwa, gaining in some cases only single-digit support from voters.
Adams was the second Black mayor of New York City when he took office in 2022. Like the first Black mayor, David Dinkins, his time at Gracie Mansion will be confined to just one four-year term.
“I know many New Yorkers have yet to feel the full impact of these historic achievements,” Adams said. “But trust me when I tell you, what we’ve started will continue to reach every community in this city. It is not always easy to see the impact of good policy in just three years.”
Though Adams is now out of the race, his name will remain on the ballot in the Nov. 4 general election, as the deadline for removing names has since passed.
This is a developing story; check with amNY.com for further updates.
