New York City Mayor Eric Adams says he won’t seek re-election

The race between Democrat Zohran Mamdani and former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is likely to end with New York Mayor Eric Adams dropping his re-election bid.

In a post on X on Sunday, Adams said, “Despite everything we’ve accomplished, I cannot continue my reelection campaign.”

Adams had been running far behind Mamdani and Cuomo, both of whom are running as independents, in polls. In the most populous city in the United States, Mamdani appears to have a sizable lead before the November 4 election.

Due to corruption allegations and alleged cooperation with Trump, Adams, a Democrat mayor in 2022, had become a divisive figure.

He claimed in a video statement that “my ability to raise the funds necessary for a serious campaign has been undermined by the constant media speculation about my future and the campaign finance board’s decision to withhold millions of dollars.”

The board’s decision to cut funds came after more than 200 contributions’ billing addresses were deemed inaccessible, raising questions about their origin.

In September of this year, Adams was charged with wire fraud, soliciting illegal foreign campaign contributions, and a bribery plot involving Turkish citizens and at least one Turkish official. He refuted the accusations.

The Justice Department earlier this year mandated that Adams’ charges be dropped by federal prosecutors in New York. Resignations abound in the Justice Department in Washington and the Manhattan US attorney’s office in response to the decision.

The charges were dropped in exchange for the Democratic mayor’s support for Trump’s immigration crackdown, but Emil Bove, a senior Justice Department official, has refuted claims that the decision was a “quid pro quo.”

Adams’ alleged friendly working and political relationship with Trump also tainted his reputation. According to US media reports, Trump’s administration allegedly offered him a job if he backed out of the election to improve Cuomo’s chances of defeating Mamdani.

Trump said in an interview with Reuters that he expected Cuomo to win the race and that he regrets Adams’ decision to pull out of the race.

The New York mayor declared his candidacy in April, avoiding Mamdani’s Democratic primary, which was competitive.

Adams has criticized Mamdani, who has defended his appeal by promising regulated rents, free bus travel, and daycare.