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New York Mayor Eric Adams announced Sunday he is abandoning his campaign for a second term, throwing New York City's mayoral race into chaos just five weeks before Election Day.
The decision marks a stunning reversal for Adams, who had publicly insisted he would continue his reelection bid despite single-digit poll numbers and mounting political pressure. In a nine-minute video posted to social media, the 65-year-old mayor conceded he could not find a path to victory.
"Despite my best efforts, I could not see a path to a second term," Adams said in prepared remarks, blaming "repeated rumors of my departure" and the city's Campaign Finance Board's denial of public matching funds for hampering his campaign.
The announcement caps months of political maneuvering behind closed doors. Sources familiar with the matter revealed that Adams's advisers had engaged in negotiations with President Trump's team about a potential ambassadorship to Saudi Arabia, though those talks ultimately collapsed.
Adams had also explored private sector opportunities, with business executives in New York discussing potential positions to induce him to drop his campaign. No formal offers were confirmed, and Adams gave no indication of specific employment plans after leaving office.
The mayor's withdrawal comes after federal corruption charges against him were dropped earlier this year by Trump's Justice Department, which cited his cooperation with immigration enforcement as a factor in the dismissal.
The electoral impact of Adams's exit remains uncertain, though it could provide fresh momentum to Cuomo, who like Adams represents the moderate wing of the Democratic Party. Polls consistently showed Adams in single digits, limiting the immediate vote share available to other candidates.
Cuomo has been working to close Mamdani's substantial lead and believes he can now attract Black and Orthodox Jewish voters who had supported Adams. The former governor and Trump had both publicly pressured Adams to quit the race in an extraordinary attempt to consolidate opposition to Mamdani.
However, catching the Democratic socialist will prove challenging with limited time remaining. Even a New York Times-Siena University survey suggested Mamdani would maintain a comfortable lead even if Cuomo captured a significant share of Adams's supporters.
Adams's downfall began with a federal indictment in Sep. 2024 that alleged a sophisticated corruption scheme stretching from New York City to Ankara, Türkiye. Prosecutors claimed Adams accepted luxury hotel accommodations and illegal campaign contributions from Turkish sources dating back to 2014.
The 57-page indictment detailed how Adams allegedly stayed at Istanbul's prestigious St. Regis hotel for just $600 per night while the luxury suite typically cost $7,000. Federal prosecutors accused him of channeling Turkish donations through U.S. citizens to conceal their foreign origin.
The charges made Adams the first sitting mayor in New York City's modern history to face criminal indictment. The case was dismissed earlier this year after Adams began cooperating with Trump's immigration policies, with the Justice Department citing his assistance in addressing "illegal immigration and violent crime."
Adams's withdrawal likely ensures he will become the first New York City mayor to serve just one term since David Dinkins lost reelection in the 1990s. The working-class son of Queens, who said he was beaten by police as a teenager, had methodically worked his way up from police officer to the city's highest office.
The former Brooklyn borough president stormed into City Hall four years ago promising to reduce crime and restore the city after the Covid pandemic. While he presided over a resurgent economy and falling crime rates, New Yorkers grew weary of corruption allegations and his increasingly provocative political positioning.
His recent alignment with Trump on immigration policy marked a dramatic shift from traditional Democratic Party positions, creating tension within his own party while opening new avenues for bipartisan cooperation on urban issues.
Without naming his opponents, Adams used his farewell video to warn against "insidious forces" pushing "radical, divisive agendas" and politicians who "cannot be trusted." His name will remain on November's ballot because the deadline to change it has passed, though he plans to serve out his remaining term.
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