Adams Abandons New York Re-Election, Opening Door for Cuomo and Mamdani

The Surprising Exit of NYC Mayor Eric Adams from the Mayoral Race

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has made a surprising decision to end his mayoral election campaign, marking a dramatic shift in the political landscape of the city. This move comes amid intense pressure from President Donald Trump’s team and influential New York business leaders, who are reportedly pushing for Adams to step down to prevent Democratic front-runner Zohran Mamdani from winning the race.

Adams, who was elected as the city’s second Black mayor in 2021 on a promise to improve public safety, had been running for a second term as an independent candidate. His announcement came through a video released by his campaign, signaling a major pivot in his political career. Sources indicate that intermediaries for Adams have been in discussions with Trump’s advisors about him dropping out in exchange for a position in the president’s administration.

Business Leaders and Political Pressure

New York business leaders, who are strongly opposed to Mamdani’s plans to increase taxes on corporations and wealthy residents, have also been involved in talks about offering Adams a private sector job if he suspends his re-election bid. These efforts are aimed at increasing the chances of former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is also running as an independent candidate. Polls suggest that with Adams out of the race, Cuomo would be a more formidable opponent to Mamdani.

Recent polls show that Adams has consistently ranked fourth in the race, trailing behind Mamdani, Cuomo, and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa. A head-to-head contest between Cuomo and Mamdani is expected to be closer, although Sliwa has stated he will remain in the race regardless of the circumstances.

Despite the ongoing rumors, Adams had previously insisted he would stay in the race and accused the media of undermining his campaign by reporting on the potential exit. However, his name remains on the November ballot, as the deadline to remove it has passed.

Political Strategy and Public Perception

Frank Carone, Adams’ top political adviser, described the mayor’s decision as “not the end but a pivot.” He emphasized the need to fight against what he called an “existential attack on our way of life,” referring to Mamdani’s progressive policies. Carone expressed strong opposition to socialism and those who support it.

Mamdani, a democratic socialist, has faced significant criticism from various quarters, including Trump, who has labeled him a “communist.” Despite this, polls consistently show Mamdani as the favorite to win the mayoral contest, with Cuomo as the runner-up.

Adams’ decision to suspend his campaign means his tenure as the city’s 110th mayor will conclude at the end of this year. His exit follows a first term marked by several high-profile corruption scandals, including his indictment last year on federal bribery and campaign finance fraud charges. The case was dismissed by Trump’s Justice Department as part of a controversial arrangement that many believe has left Adams indebted to the president.

Impact on the Mayoral Race

Trump’s team has also encouraged Sliwa to drop out of the race to maximize Cuomo’s chances against Mamdani. However, Sliwa has maintained that he will not leave the race unless he is dead.

The termination of Adams’ campaign comes as Trump has publicly expressed a desire to narrow the mayoral field to one candidate facing Mamdani on November 4. “I would like to see two people drop out and have it be one on one,” Trump said earlier this month, suggesting that such a scenario could lead to a win.

It remains unclear whether Adams has secured a position in the Trump administration following his exit from the race. In polls, Adams has consistently placed at the back of the pack, with single-digit support as he remains deeply unpopular in the city due to ongoing fallout from his corruption indictment and related controversies.

Without Adams in the race, it is speculated that Cuomo might be able to attract some of the incumbent’s base, though there is no certainty about this outcome. Cuomo has maintained that he will not accept any endorsement or support from Trump, despite the president’s apparent preference for Cuomo in the race. This dynamic is likely to fuel attacks from Mamdani.

A Shift in Political Dynamics

Adams launched his re-election bid on an independent line after his corruption charges were dropped by Trump’s Department of Justice in April. In announcing his independent bid, Adams claimed the dismissal of his case hindered his ability to run a serious campaign in the June Democratic primary, which Mamdani won.

For months, Adams had insisted he would not drop out of the race, vowing in late August that he would run for a second term “no matter what.” His campaign slogan was “Always delivers, never quits.”

Other candidates in the race, including Cuomo and Jim Walden, who stepped out of the race on September 2, had previously advocated for consolidating behind the candidate polling best in the fall to set up a one-on-one competition against Mamdani.

Adams struggled to build a competitive re-election campaign, as he and members of his inner circle have been under intense scrutiny for the past year. His indictment in September 2024 for allegedly taking illegal campaign cash and bribes from Turkish government operatives marked a historic moment, making him the first sitting mayor in modern New York history to face criminal charges.

Many of his top advisers, including longtime confidante Ingrid Lewis-Martin and City Hall aide Winnie Greco, have also been indicted or probed by federal and state investigators over the past year.

In the months after his indictment, Adams strengthened his relationship with Trump, traveling to Florida and Washington, DC to meet with him. The president’s DOJ then intervened in February to halt his prosecution, and his case was ultimately dropped at a Trump appointee’s direction in April—on the grounds that it would impede Adams’ ability to help Trump’s hardline immigration agenda.

The end of his re-election campaign marks a remarkable turnaround for Adams, who, after his 2021 victory, claimed his win showed New Yorkers were hungry for a centrist style of politics focused on law-and-order. “I am the face of the new Democratic party,” Adams said at the time.