NYC Mayor Eric Adams Drops Reelection Bid

Well, it looks like Mayor Eric Adams of New York City will be a “one and done” mayor after all.

Adams announced via a pre-recorded video shared on social media he is suspending his bid for reelection just five weeks before Election Day.

Breaking News: Mayor Eric Adams of New York City announced that he would abandon his campaign for a second term.https://t.co/J0i607bcLG

— The New York Times (@nytimes) September 28, 2025

From the New York Times:

In a nearly nine-minute video message posted to social media, the mayor conceded that despite his best efforts, he could not see a path to re-election.

He blamed “continued media speculation about my departure” and a decision by the city’s Campaign Finance Board to deny him public matching funds for throttling his campaign.

The decision came after Mr. Adams spent weeks publicly insisting that he would see the race through despite dismal poll numbers.

But behind the scenes, he was exploring potential exit ramps to avoid an embarrassing finish, with his advisers at one point engaging in negotiations with President Trump’s about an ambassadorship to Saudi Arabia.

So, basically, now it’s a two-man race between Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee and front-runner, and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, running as an independent.

A recent New York Times/Siena poll showed Mamdani garnering 46% and Cuomo at about 24%. Adams was only pulling in about 9% support. So even if all of his supporters switched to Cuomo, the former governor would still be trailing by a big margin.

The Republican in the race, Curtis Sliwa, has been polling at around 15% support.

I’m willing to bet Adams accepts some position in the Trump administration in the near future.

Mamdani responded to the news of Adams’s departure in a social media video. Watch below.

Trump and his billionaire donors might be able to determine Adams and Cuomo’s actions. But they won’t decide this election.

In just over 5 weeks, we’ll turn the page on the politics of big money and small ideas — and deliver a government every New Yorker can be proud of. pic.twitter.com/0UENxTENCO

— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) September 28, 2025