- Eric Adams cited lack of funding and media criticism for dropping out of the race.
- Polls show Zohran Mamdani leads with 46% support following Adams' withdrawal from the election.
- Curtis Sliwa's campaign says he is the strongest contender against Mamdani after Adams' exit.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Sunday ended his campaign for reelection, changing up the race with five weeks left until the election.
According to CNN, Adams made the announcement after walking down the stairs of Gracie Mansion, the official mayoral residence, while “I Did It My Way” by Frank Sinatra played, and then sitting down next to a photo of his late mother.
“Only in America can a story like this be told,” Adams said.
The mayor said he was ending his bid for reelection because of a lack of funding and because of a media campaign that he felt was trying to undermine his chances, per CNN.
The announcement came in a nearly nine-minute-long video Adams posted on social media. He has not given any clues to what his plans are after leaving office.
“It’s been an honor to be your mayor,” Adams said in his video. He also highlighted what he sees as his achievements during his time in office, including issues related to crime reduction, housing affordability and economic recovery, per Fox News.
“And yet despite all that we have achieved, I cannot continue my reelection campaign,” he said.
What this means for the election
This move helps to clear the way for former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo as democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee, continues to gain momentum, per Fox News.
Running as an independent after losing the Democratic nomination, Adams trailed significantly behind both Mamdani and Cuomo. The former governor is also running as an independent.
According to New York Magazine, a number of recent polls accounted for scenarios where Adams dropped out of the race, leaving just Cuomo, Mamdani and the Republican candidate, Curtis Sliwa, as contenders.
A poll from Quinnipiac University on Sept. 10 found that Mamdani would have 46% of support from likely voters, followed by Cuomo with 30% and Sliwa with 17%.
Another poll released on Sept. 16 from Marist Poll had Mamdani receiving 46% of the support from likely voters, 30% for Cuomo and 18% for Sliwa.
On Monday morning, President Donald Trump posted about the mayoral race on Truth Social, saying Mamdani winning will be “one of the best things to ever happen to our great Republican Party.”
“He is going to have problems with Washington like no Mayor in the history of our once great City. Remember, he needs the money from me, as President, in order to fulfill all of his FAKE Communist promises. He won’t be getting any of it, so what’s the point of voting for him?” the post continued.
What other candidates have said about Adams dropping out
In an interview on Sunday on MSNBC’s “The Weekend Primetime,” Mamdani was asked to respond to the mayor’s parting message: “Extremism is growing in our politics. Our children are being radicalized to hate our city and our country. Major change is welcome and necessary, but beware of those who claim the answer to destroy the very system we built together over generations. That is not change. That is chaos,” Adams said, per Fox News.
The Democratic nominee responded: “Well, I think that the only thing I truly find to be extreme is Eric Adams’s record. This is a man who’s raised the rent on more than 2 million New Yorkers by 12%, a man who slowed down already the slowest buses in the country, one who priced New Yorkers out of child care that cost them about $25,000 a year. That’s what’s extreme. That’s what’s radical.”
He also argued that New Yorkers want to go in a new direction, saying that those in the city are tired of Cuomo and Adams’ politics. He also said that Adams’ exit is a pivotal moment, and that voters will “turn the page on the politics of big money and small ideas.”
“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 wrote in a statement, per New York Magazine.
Following Adams’ exit, Sliwa’s campaign has framed him as the strongest challenger to Mamdani.
“Curtis Sliwa is the only candidate who can defeat Mamdani. Our team, our resources, and our funding are unmatched,” Daniel Kurzyna, a spokesperson for Sliwa’s campaign, wrote in a statement, according to Fox News.
Sliwa also reacted to Adams’ announcement in a Fox5 interview Monday morning. “I’m not sitting Shiva for Eric Adams,” he said. “He should’ve been in jail with Bobby Menendez. He was a crook and it was the president who saved him.”
He added that he has no plans to drop out of the race.
Cuomo said he believes that Adams’ decision to exit the race was “sincere in putting the well-being of New York City ahead of personal ambition,” per Fox News.
“Mayor Adams has much to be proud of in his accomplishments. Whatever differences we may have, Eric Adams’ story is undeniably one of resilience, a testament to the spirit of this city,” Cuomo added.