“God Bless New York!” Mayor Adams ends re-election drive

Embattled New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Sunday night ended his re-election campaign weeks before the vote. The now-independent official was elected in 2022 as a Democrat and faced serious backlash over a now-dismissed federal bribery and fraud indictment.

Adam’s announcement video, which lasted nearly 10 minutes, began with him walking down a flight of stairs to Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” and sitting at the bottom with a large portrait of his mother. Adams emphasized his pride in the city and the honor it was to serve as mayor. Education reforms improved test scores, and the city is on track for a historically low number of shootings and murders, he said. He also highlighted the diversity among city leadership under his watch, including the city’s first female commissioners of police and fire, and the first Dominican, Indian, and Filipino deputy mayors. He also highlighted investments meant to fuel the economy, pushing employment higher. Costs for working families were lowered and funding for rental vouchers and childcare expanded, Adams added.

Did he give a specific reason for ending the campaign? The mayor acknowledged the damage the federal indictment did to his image and once again maintained his innocence. Adams explained that the city’s Campaign Finance Board decided to freeze millions of dollars in funding due to continued media speculation and many voters who remained unsure of him. The funding freeze undermined his ability to run a serious campaign, Adams said. 

How’s the race looking now? Adams’ campaign ended about two weeks after Gov. Kathy Hochul formally endorsed Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani. The Democrat emerged as a controversial figure, campaigning as a self-described democratic socialist and a devout Shia Muslim. Mamdani has been leading in the polls with former Gov. Andrew Cuomo as the closest competitor. Cuomo is running as an independent, like Adams did. Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa has been polling in third place, with Adams in fourth place.

Dig deeper: Read my previous report for more background on Mamdani.