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Mayor Adams drops out of NYC mayoral race following scandal-plagued tenure at City Hall
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Sep 28, 2025
Modified Sep 28, 2025
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Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Sep 28, 2025
Modified Sep 28, 2025
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Mayor Eric Adams on Sunday announced he will halt his re-election campaign, consolidating the field to a three-person race between Andrew Cuomo, Curtis Sliwa and front-runner Zohran Mamdani in a race that has attracted national attention — including that of President Donald Trump.
The mayor delivered the announcement in a nine-minute video, seated next to a portrait of his late mother on the staircase of Gracie Mansion.
"Despite all we've achieved, I cannot continue my re-election campaign," he said. "The constant media speculation about my future and the Campaign Finance Board's decision to withhold millions of dollars have undermined my ability to raise the funds needed for a serious campaign."
Adams, who made history as the first New York City mayor of the modern era to be criminally indicted, now becomes the first sitting mayor to not seek re-election since 1913 without facing a term limit. His exit marks a spectacular downfall for someone who just three years ago declared himself the new face of the Democratic Party.
He will now face the prospect of governing the city as a lame duck mayor. His lack of political capital and short time in office mean his remaining agenda, which includes building more housing and banning carriage horses from Central Park, is unlikely to gain much traction. The City Council has already sought to strike down ballot measures that would weaken its power over approving housing.
Despite suspending his campaign, Adams's name will remain on the ballot.
The announcement comes after weeks of speculation that the scandal-scarred mayor was cutting a deal with the Trump administration to leave the race to help Cuomo defeat Mamdani. The president, earlier this month, told reporters that he wanted to see two of the candidates drop out of the race.
Mamdani, a state assemblymember from Queens, is considered the favorite to win in November but has yet to win the support of top Democratic leaders, who have been critical of some of his left-leaning positions.
Polls have shown Mamdani with a double-digit lead over former Gov. Cuomo, followed by Sliwa, the Republican nominee. While Adams was unlikely to win, polls showed him pulling support from Cuomo among more moderate Black Democrats in crucial areas like Central Brooklyn and Southeast Queens.
Adams previously insisted he wouldn’t drop out of the race, but the New York Times reported that Trump officials were discussing a possible role for him in the administration. The mayor disputed the report, saying he had no interest in another job.
Trump and Adams have had a mutually beneficial relationship that appeared to begin before Trump even took office. The mayor was a frequent critic of former President Joe Biden’s immigration policy, which was a central theme in Trump’s successful re-election campaign, and Adams refrained from offering a full-throated endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris.
After Trump won the election last year, Adams pledged to work collaboratively with him. Then, in April, Trump’s Department of Justice ordered prosecutors to drop the mayor’s corruption indictment because the case would have interfered with his ability to assist the administration on immigration.
The mayor has rarely criticized Trump in the face of migrant detentions and escalating deportations. His critics, including career Republican prosecutors, said Adams was so compromised by the relationship that his ability to serve his constituents was in jeopardy.
But despite having his case dismissed, Adams has been dogged by accusations of illegal campaign donations and new bribery allegations against his close associates. The city’s Campaign Finance Board denied Adams matching funds, a huge blow to his fundraising apparatus.
Nevertheless, Adams argued that the city had improved under his leadership. He has spent the last several months campaigning on falling crime rates and new investments in housing and education.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, who endorsed Mamdani in the race, celebrated Adams's tenure following the announcement.
"For the last four years, I've been proud to work with Mayor Adams to make New York City safe, stronger and more affordable. During that time, we have delivered much-needed housing for New Yorkers, including the passage of the mayor's visionary City of Yes plan," she said. "He leaves New York City better than he inherited it and that will always be central to his legacy as mayor."
While Adams' dropping out of the race helps Cuomo’s chances, he is also likely to face accusations of collusion with the Trump administration, though he’s consistently denied any contact with the president or his associates.
Sliwa's campaign on Sunday insisted he'll remain in the race.
"Curtis Sliwa is the only candidate who can defeat Mamdani," Sliwa's campaign spokesperson Daniel Kurzyna wrote in a statement. "Our team, our resources, and our funding are unmatched."
Last week, he said several Republican donors have tried to "bribe" him with job offers in exchange for ending his campaign.
Cuomo, in a statement, celebrated Adams's decision.
"We face destructive extremist forces that would devastate our city through incompetence or ignorance, but it is not too late to stop them," he said.
Mamdani has signaled that the alleged intervention by the president on Cuomo's behalf amounted to a crisis for Democrats.
"New York deserves better than trading in one disgraced, corrupt politician for another," Mamdani wrote in a statement on Sunday. "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.”
This story has been updated with a statement from former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
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new york city
Elizabeth Kim
Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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