 "Eric Adams drops out of NYC mayor race. Does this help Zohran Mamdani?")
New York Mayor Eric Adams has dropped out of his re-election bid.
Adams was up against ex-New York governor Andrew Cuomo, leftist Zohran Mamdani, and Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa. Adams made the announcement on social media on Sunday. The development comes after months of speculation about Adams’ political future.
The development comes with around a month left to go in the election, which is slated to be held on 4th November. But why did Adams drop out? And will this move hurt or help the 33-year-old Mamdani, who would be New York’s youngest mayor in history if elected?
Let’s take a closer look.
Why did Adams drop out?
“It’s been an honour to be your mayor,” Adams said in the nine-minute clip uploaded on social media. The clip, set to Frank Sinatra’s My Way, showed Adams walking down the stairs holding a large photo of his late mother.
He touted several achievements during his time in office, including a reduction in crime, affordable housing, and an economic recovery in America’s largest city.
“And yet, despite all that we have achieved, I cannot continue my re-election campaign,” he continued. Adams said he is unable to raise enough funds to conduct a ‘serious campaign’ and blamed the campaign finance board for being unable to do so.
“Despite all we’ve achieved, I cannot continue my re-election campaign. The constant media speculation about my future and the campaign finance board’s decision to withhold millions of pounds have undermined my ability to raise the funds needed for a serious campaign,” Adams said. “I hope you will see, despite the headlines and innuendo, I always put you before me.”
Adams has been embroiled in controversy and scandal since he took office in 2022. Allegations of corruption against Adams and his inner circle led to a federal case against him for allegedly soliciting and accepting gifts from well-to-do contributors, including the Turkish government.
The Trump administration then dropped the charges against Adams. There were also reports that the Trump administration was eyeing the post of Ambassador to Saudi Arabia – which Adams denied.
Democrats accused Adams of kissing Trump’s ring. They also targeted him with a torrent of criticism after he decided to run as Independent. Adams was running in single digits – behind Mamdani and Cuomo. Sliwa, another controversial figure, is also running in single digits.
However, Adams’ name will remain on the ballot as the final date to withdraw the candidacy has passed. He will also serve out his four-year term, which ends this year.
Will this move help or hurt Mamdani?
Conventional wisdom says it is likely to hurt Mamdani.Adams, who had positioned himself as a staunch advocate for Israel and business interests, would have likely drawn away votes from Cuomo – thus elevating Mamdani to the prestigious post of Mayor of New York City.
Many in the establishment prefer Cuomo vastly over the self-described Democratic socialist Mamdani, who has little political experience. They have been left alarmed and shaken by Mamdani’s leftist views – imposing rent control and making groceries and utilities affordable – when it comes to business and society.
High-profile Democratic leaders such as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have not endorsed Mamdani. Business owners and the donor class had also been urging either Cuomo or Adams to drop out of the race in order to stop Mamdani’s ascent.
However, until now, neither man had agreed to do so. “I am in this race. And I am the only one who can beat Mamdani," a defiant Adams previously said.
Recent polls show that Mamdani has support from just under half the electorate (43 to 46 per cent), while Cuomo is a distant second (24 per cent to 28 per cent, Sliwa in third (10 per cent to 15 per cent), and Adams was in fourth with 7 per cent to 9 per cent support.
Even giving Cuomo every single Adams voter isn’t enough for him to close the gap meaningfully with Mamdani. When it comes to a one-on-one matchup, Mamdani holds a lead over Cuomo of between four and 10 points – depending on the poll in question. In fact, one poll released last week showed Mamdani ahead of Cuomo by over 20 per cent.
Experts say Adams’ exit likely comes too late in the race.
“If it had happened a few weeks or a few months ago, it would have represented a real sea change. It would have been a real shot in the arm for Andrew Cuomo’s effort to beat Mamdani,” Evan Roth Smith, a founding partner at Slingshot Strategies, told Bloomberg. The move “doesn’t represent as much of a reordering of the race as it could have if it had happened earlier…It’s too little too late to really make this a whole new ballgame.”
Mamdani caused an earthquake in Democratic politics by handily beating Cuomo in the Democratic primary. His campaign, which relied on social media videos to connect with everyday New Yorkers and an assortment of volunteers, beat the well-organised Democratic machine in New
York as well as the Cuomo political dynasty.
Interestingly, Adams did not endorse Cuomo – the former governor of New York for over a decade who resigned in 2021 amid sexual harassment allegations – on his way out.
However, his remarks were widely viewed as a veiled dig at Mamdani.
“Too often, insidious forces use local government to advance divisive agendas with little regard for how it hurts everyday New Yorkers,” Adams said. “Major change is welcome and necessary, but beware of those who claim the answer [is] to destroy the very system we built.”
“That is not change, that is chaos. Instead, I urge New Yorkers to choose leaders not by what they promise, but by what they have delivered.”
US President Donald Trump was among those who had called on Adams and Sliwa to exit the race. Trump on Sunday said he believes the move will likely help Cuomo. “I think that gives Cuomo a much better chance,” the president said in a phone interview. “I do welcome it.”
Trump previously claimed Mamdani was a ‘communist’ and said he might have to ‘take over’ New York City if he wins. “If people would get together and have one candidate, they’d have, I think, a pretty good chance,” Trump said. The Trump administration has threatened to withhold federal funds from New York if Mamdani is elected mayor.
Cuomo on X called on voters to reject “extremist forces”.
“We face destructive extremist forces that would devastate our city through incompetence or ignorance, but it is not too late to stop them,” Cuomo wrote on social media. He also praised Adams for “putting the well-being of New York City ahead of personal ambition.”
Mamdani, after the news of Adams’ exit from the race, hit back at Cuomo.
“New York deserves better than trading in one disgraced, corrupt politician for another. On 4th November, 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,” Mamdani said. He also took aim at Trump
and the Republicans.
“Trump and his billionaire donors might be able to determine Adams and Cuomo’s actions. But they won’t decide this election,” Mamdani said.
With inputs from agencies
 "How massive protests in PoK have put Pakistan on edge")
 "From Naqvi’s walkout to Suryakumar’s protest: The untold story of the Asia Cup 2025 final")
 "Who is Amir Amiry, the American freed by the Taliban?")
 "Trump complained about 'foreign wars'. Is he creating one with Venezuela?")
 "How massive protests in PoK have put Pakistan on edge")
 "From Naqvi’s walkout to Suryakumar’s protest: The untold story of the Asia Cup 2025 final")
 "Who is Amir Amiry, the American freed by the Taliban?")
 "Trump complained about 'foreign wars'. Is he creating one with Venezuela?")
