NYC Mayor Adams abandons his reelection bid after turbulent year

New York City Mayor Eric Adams ended his struggling reelection campaign Sunday, an acknowledgment that he was no longer a credible contender after a year of scandal and political turmoil.

- BY JAKE OFFENHARTZ AND ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE

NEW YORK CITY Mayor Eric Adams faced federal fraud and bribery charges, but they were dropped.

(SETH WENIG Associated Press)

In a video released on social media, Adams spoke proudly of his tenure as mayor. But he said his now-dismissed federal corruption case left voters wary of him, and "constant media speculation" about his future made it impossible to raise enough money to run a serious campaign.

"Despite all we've achieved, I cannot continue my reelection campaign," he said.

Adams did not endorse any of the remaining candidates in the race, but he warned of "insidious forces" that he said used local government to "advance divisive agendas."

"That is not change, that is chaos," Adams said. "Instead, I urge New Yorkers to choose leaders not by what they promise, but by what they have delivered."

Adams' exit could potentially provide a lift to the campaign of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a fellow Democratic centrist running as an independent, who has portrayed himself as the only candidate able to beat the Democratic Party's nominee, state Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani.

It was unclear, though, whether enough Adams supporters would shift their allegiance to Cuomo to make a difference.

Mamdani, 33, would be the city's youngest and most liberal mayor in generations if elected. He beat Cuomo decisively in the Democratic primary by campaigning on a promise to try to lower the cost of living in one of the world's most expensive cities.

In a statement after Adams' announcement, Mamdani took aim at Cuomo, who is trying to make a political comeback after resigning the governor's office after being accused of sexual harassment by multiple women.