Eric Adams Drops Out of NYC Mayor’s Race, Leaving Mamdani, Cuomo to Battle It Out

New York City Mayor Eric Adams is bowing out of the 2025 mayoral race, abruptly ending a bid already dogged by scandal, cash-flow problems and dismal poll numbers.

“Despite all we’ve achieved, I cannot continue my reelection campaign,” Adams said Sunday on X. His withdrawal clears the path for a November showdown between progressive Democrat Zohran Mamdani and former Governor Andrew Cuomo, now running as an independent.

Adams, who took office in 2022, had slipped far behind both rivals in recent polling. Mamdani, promising rent regulation, free buses and expanded daycare, had built a double-digit lead, while Cuomo hoped to position himself as a centrist alternative.

In a video statement, Adams blamed “constant media speculation” and the New York City Campaign Finance Board’s decision to freeze millions in matching funds after questions arose over more than 200 campaign contributions.

The mayor has been under a cloud for months. Indicted in 2024 on wire fraud and bribery conspiracy charges tied to Turkish donors, Adams denied wrongdoing and later saw the case dropped by the Justice Department, a move that triggered a mini-rebellion inside federal prosecutors’ offices and fueled suspicions of political interference.

Adding to the intrigue, Trump praised Adams’s decision to exit, telling Reuters it boosts Cuomo’s chances against Mamdani, whom Trump calls “too left wing.” U.S. media have speculated that the Trump camp dangled a federal job in front of Adams if he cleared the field, a charge both camps deny.

Adams’s own remarks Sunday echoed his frustrations:

“Major change is welcome and necessary,” he said, “but beware of those who claim the answer [is] to destroy the very system we built together over generations. That is not change. That is chaos.”

For New Yorkers, the race now becomes a stark choice between two candidates who couldn’t be more different: Mamdani’s progressive agenda versus Cuomo’s old-school executive experience.