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Mayor Adams vows to stay in NYC mayor’s race, calling Mamdani and Cuomo '2 spoiled brats'
By
Jon Campbell
and
Elizabeth Kim
Published Sep 5, 2025
Modified Sep 6, 2025
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Elizabeth Kim
By
Jon Campbell
and
Elizabeth Kim
Published Sep 5, 2025
Modified Sep 6, 2025
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Mayor Eric Adams said Friday that he will continue to seek reelection in November, angrily accusing Andrew Cuomo of fueling rumors Adams will drop his independent bid in exchange for a job in President Donald Trump’s administration.
“Andrew Cuomo is a snake and a liar,” Adams said, speaking at Gracie Mansion. He reaffirmed his commitment to the race against Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa and the former governor, who is also running on an independent line.
“I am in this race and I’m the only one that can beat Mamdani,” Adams said, wearing a polo shirt with “mayor” written on the back.
Adams lashed out at Mamdani and Cuomo, contrasting his working-class upbringing with the candidates he called “two spoiled brats.”
“They were born with silver spoons in their mouths, not like working class New Yorkers,” Adams said. “I'm a working class New Yorker. They are not like us.”
Adams’ announcement came after he traveled to Florida earlier this week. After initially saying that the mayor had traveled for personal reasons, campaign spokesperson Todd Shapiro confirmed after Adams’ remarks that he met with Trump advisor Steve Witkoff. On Friday, the New York Times reported Trump associates had discussed possibly making Adams ambassador to Saudi Arabia in exchange for him dropping his reelection bid.
The behind-the-scenes scheming was seen as an effort to consolidate the anti-Mamdani vote behind Cuomo, a Democrat with more centrist views than the party’s nominee, who is a democratic socialist.
Sliwa has insisted he will also stay in the race. He’s also been dogged by rumors of a potential job offer from the White House.
Hours before his press conference, Adams issued a statement saying he "will always listen if called to serve our country."
A Cuomo spokesperson declined to comment.
Polling shows Mamdani is the clear frontrunner. Cuomo is trailing Mamdani, followed by Sliwa and Adams.
“In November, we’re going to deliver a city working New Yorkers can afford and turn the page on the broken, billionaire-backed politics of the past,” Mamdani said.
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new york city
Jon Campbell
Jon Campbell covers the New York State Capitol for WNYC and Gothamist. Prior to that, he covered the Capitol for more than a decade for the USA TODAY Network. He has twice earned the Walter T. Brown Memorial Award, an honor given annually by the Legislative Correspondents Association alumni for outstanding state government coverage. Jon grew up in the Buffalo area and graduated from the University at Albany. Got a tip? Email Jon at [email protected] or Signal at JonCampbellNY.90.
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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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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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