Eric Adams says he won't seek reelection as New York City mayor

Mayor Eric Adams announced on Sunday he won't seek reelection after all, a sudden but not entirely unforeseen decision, in a race of surprises, for his long-moribund campaign.

Adams’ decision to drop out — with just weeks until the Nov. 4 New York City mayoral election — narrows the race to a contest among three candidates: the Democratic nominee, front-runner Zohran Mamdani, a state assemblyman; former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who’s running as an independent; and the Republican nominee, talk-show host and Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa.

In the announcement, a video that ran nearly nine minutes and that was recorded at Gracie Mansion and posted on X, Adams blamed "media speculation about my future" as well as the decision by the city’s Campaign Finance Board to withhold public matching funds to the campaign due to allegations of fraud.

No endorsement

Adams did not endorse any other candidate or even name his opponents, but he said: “Too often, insidious forces use local government to advance divisive agendas with little regard for how it hurts everyday New Yorkers. Major change is welcome and necessary. But beware of those who claim the answer to destroy the very system we build together over generations. That is not change. That is chaos.”

In a statement, Mamdani said of the campaign's final weeks without Adams: "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.”

By withdrawing from the race, Adams immediately boosted the chances of Cuomo, who since losing June’s Democratic primary to Mamdani has trailed by double digits in opinion polls. Those polls had shown Adams registering in the single digits.

Cuomo, also in a statement, said: "The choice Mayor Adams made today was not an easy one, but I believe he is sincere in putting the well-being of New York City ahead of personal ambition. We face destructive extremist forces that would devastate our city through incompetence or ignorance, but it is not too late to stop them."

Sliwa "is the only candidate who can defeat Mamdani. Our team, our resources, and our funding are unmatched," said Daniel Kurzyna, a spokesperson for the Republican. "Most importantly, we have the best solutions to help working people afford to stay in New York City and feel safe."

Despite having dropped out, Adams is almost certain to remain on the ballot, under New York election law. The ballots already were being printed earlier in September.

Will he or won't he?

For weeks, Adams’ future in the race has been subject to will-he-or-won’t-he intrigue, as he was rumored to be in talks with the Trump administration to drop out in exchange for an appointment perhaps as a federal housing official or as ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

Adams angrily denied those rumors.

Still, in a matter of weeks, Adams went from "hell no" on whether he would he step down — that was Aug. 22 — to a statement his campaign issued Sept. 5 leaving the door open that "I will always listen if called to serve our country," a reference to the possible federal appointments. And Adams said in mid-September that it was "my desire" to remain a candidate.

It wasn’t always this way.

Less than two years ago, Adams was expected to coast to a second term, buoyed by the power of incumbency and the bully pulpit of office.

Incumbent mayors in New York City seeking reelection rarely lose, much less drop out.

Adams’ popularity began to freefall in 2024 after leaks about corruption probes, raids by the FBI, seizures of his cellphones, indictments of those close to him and, for the first time in modern city history, the criminal indictment of a sitting mayor.

The allegations included illegal contributions from foreigners and straw donors and campaign finance fraud, as well as trading luxury vacations for favorable municipal treatment, a protection ring by his since-resigned police commissioner, alleged bribery by his top adviser and more.

The case against Adams was dismissed earlier this year on the orders of appointees at President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice — in part, the appointees said, so Adams can help the federal government’s immigration crackdown. It was an arrangement the federal judge overseeing the case said smacked of a corrupt bargain.

Plunging poll numbers

But the dismissal did nothing to help Adams’ popularity, which remains at record lows in modern polling for a New York City mayor.

It wasn’t until earlier this year that Adams, who withdrew from the Democratic primary when it was clear he had no shot, announced he would run as an independent.

In late June, after Cuomo’s unexpected loss to Mamdani in the Democratic primary, Adams’ campaign got a second wind as someone whom Mamdani foes mused could be the best challenger.

And in the immediate aftermath of Cuomo’s primary loss, some of his rich supporters — briefly — shifted their allegiance to Adams. On Long Island, early in the summer, Adams dominated fundraising, which had been Cuomo’s strength.

But that bubble burst weeks later, and on Sunday afternoon Adams acknowledged he had no shot and left the race.

Hank Sheinkopf, a political consultant who has worked for Cuomo in the past, told Newsday it remains unclear how much Adams' announcement will shift the outcome.

"Will it relieve some of the Black vote to go to Cuomo? Yes, potentially," Sheinkopf said. "But Andrew Cuomo's problems will still be with others, with women, others who don't like him. Just because Adams isn't there doesn't mean he gets those votes. Mamdani will also pick up votes here."

Newsday's Bahar Ostadan contributed to this story.

By Matthew Chayes

matthew.chayes@newsday.comchayesmatthew

Matthew Chayes, a Newsday reporter since 2007, covers New York City.