Eric Adams ends campaign for New York City mayor

(NEW YORK) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced Sunday he is suspending his campaign for mayor, just weeks away from the closely watched election.

Adams announced his decision in a video on X.

The mayor, running as an independent, resisted calls to drop out previously from opponents of Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, who were concerned he and independent candidate former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who lost the Democratic primary and is running as an independent, would split the vote.

Adams has been polling behind Mamdani, Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa.

ABC News previously reported that it is too late for Adams’s name to be removed from the ballot. His name will remain, as will fellow long shot candidate Jim Walden, who also suspended his campaign and last week endorsed Cuomo.

Adams’ decision follows an order Friday from the Manhattan federal judge who oversaw Adams’ criminal case.

Judge Dale Ho agreed to add the city’s Campaign Finance Board as an interested party in the now-dismissed corruption matter. The CFB asked to be added so it could review the case before deciding whether to award matching funds to the Adams campaign.

The judge’s order granting the request made clear to the mayor and his campaign advisers that it would be unlikely they would receive public money to match the nearly $4 million Adams has raised.

Adams was indicted in September 2024 on five counts in an alleged long-standing conspiracy connected to what prosecutors said were improper benefits, illegal campaign contributions and an attempted coverup.

The charges against the mayor — including counts of wire fraud, conspiracy, bribery and solicitation of a contribution from a foreign entity — were dropped against him in April by the U.S. Justice Department in what his critics claimed was a quid pro quo with the Trump administration.

Adams and the Justice Department denied there was a quid pro quo involved in the dropping of the charges.

Advisers for President Donald Trump had been in contact with Adams to persuade him to drop out of the race and offered him positions in the administration, including an ambassador post in Saudi Arabia, sources told ABC News.

Trump and Adams both denied reports of those meetings. However, Trump has been vocal that candidates should drop out to limit the number of challengers against Mamdani.

Adams said in his announcement he could not continue his bid because of what he said was media speculation and funds withheld by the CFB “have undermined my ability to raise the funds needed for a serious campaign.”

“When I was elected to serve as your mayor, I said these words: This campaign was never about me. It was about the people of this city — from every neighborhood and background — who had been left behind and believed they would never catch up. This campaign was for the underserved, the marginalized, the abandoned and betrayed by government,” Adams said in the video.

“Since then, it has been my honor to be your mayor. And I am proud to say that we took that victory four years ago and turned it into action — making this city better for those who had been failed by government.”

Adams also indicated he will serve out the rest of his term in office.

“Although this is the end of my reelection campaign, it is not the end of my public service. I will continue to fight for this city — as I have for 40 years, since the day I joined the NYPD to make our streets safer and our systems fairer,” he said.

Adams did not endorse any candidate for mayor in his announcement.

Mamdani wrote in a statement reacting to Adams’ withdrawal, “Donald Trump and his billionaire donors might be able to determine Eric Adams and Andrew Cuomo’s actions but they will not dictate the results of this election. New York deserves better than trading in one disgraced, corrupt politician for another. On November 4th, 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.”

Cuomo said in a statement Sunday that Adams’s choice to drop out “was not an easy one, but I believe he is sincere in putting the well-being of New York City ahead of personal ambition.”

“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.

The former governor added, “Mayor Adams has much to be proud of in his accomplishments. Only in New York can a child raised in a tenement in Bushwick, who once worked as a squeegee boy and a mailroom clerk, rise to become mayor. Whatever differences we may have, Eric Adams’ story is undeniably one of resilience — a testament to the spirit of this city.”

A spokesperson for Sliwa wrote, “Curtis Sliwa is the only candidate who can defeat Mamdani. Our team, our resources, and our funding are unmatched. Most importantly, we have the best solutions to help working people afford to stay in New York City and feel safe.”

City Hall staff members were informed of the mayor’s decision just a few moments before the campaign released Adams’ statement. Adams gave no indication that he has a job lined up after he leaves office. A source close to the mayor was unaware of a job being offered.

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