By: Serena Edwards and Emily Nixon
Current New York City (NYC) Mayor Eric Adams announced his withdrawal from candidacy for re-election to his position with a month to go before the New York mayoral election. Adams’ departure leaves the upcoming election in the hands of the remaining three candidates: Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo, and Curtis Sliwa.
On Sept. 28, Adams announced his resignation from the race in a video message on social media, in which he mentioned the obstacles he faced during his time in office, including the campaign financing, public opinion, and the federal court case.
“I cannot continue my reelection campaign. The constant media speculation about my future and the Campaign Finance Board’s (CFB) decision to withhold millions of dollars have undermined my ability to raise the funds needed for a serious campaign,” said Adams.
In the video, Adams refers to the CFB’s decision to deny his campaign admission into a program that helps fund political campaigns by matching donations made by individuals.
“The Program matches small-dollar contributions from individual New York City residents with public funds to help amplify their voices and to reduce the possibility and perception of corruption from large contributions in city elections,” says CFB’s website.
The Adams Campaign decided to challenge this decision in court, but ultimately got denied again with a summary judgment granted to CFB on Oct. 1, according to a PDF of the court documents available on govinfo.gov. A summary judgment is a tactic used in court to promptly resolve legal disputes without the need for a full trial, mostly used when the evidence is not in question for either party.
“The court denies Plaintiffs’ [Adams] motion for summary judgment and grants the CFB’s motion for summary judgment on all claims,” states the PDF. “The court further dismisses Plaintiffs’ claim for declaratory judgment and dismisses Plaintiffs’ requests for money damages, attorneys’ fees, and litigation expenses.”
As previously covered by The Vanguard, Adams’ recent legal battle left him on shaky ground with his constituents, despite his steadfast pleas of innocence.
“I also know some remain unsure of me after the unfortunate events surrounding my federal case. I was wrongfully charged because I fought for this city,” said Adams in the video.
Later in the video, Adams accepts that a new person will take over his office, but warns of lurking dangers in the political scene.
“I must also sound a warning. Extremism is growing in our politics,” said Adams. “Our children are being radicalized to hate our city and our country. Political anger is turning into political violence.”
Adams continues to warn New Yorkers against dangerous political schemes, but focuses the caution on politicians themselves rather than the political game.
“Major change is welcome and necessary, but beware of those who claim the answer to destroy the very system we built together over generations,” said Adams in the video. “ 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 to live in.”
Near the end of the video, Adams vows to remain in the political field, even if he no longer holds the title of Mayor.
“Although this is the end of my reelection campaign, it is not the end of my public service,” said Adams. “I will continue to fight for this city, as I have for forty years since the day I joined the NYPD to make our streets safer and our systems fairer.”
Adams goes on to list the struggles New Yorkers face while vowing to continue his fight for equality and how he plans to do that, according to the video.
“The course for justice is far from over. Inequality persists. Innocents still suffer. New Yorkers deserve better every single day, and until the end of my term, I will fight for just that,” said Adams. “We face the fallout of COVID, a surge in crime, an unprecedented migrant crisis, and economic devastation all at once, and together we turn things around by listening to everyday people and providing solutions instead of speeches.”
With Adams dropping from the race, the three candidates left in the mayoral race are battling for his supporters. The New York Times’ interactive poll tracker on the candidates’ numbers compiled from various polling sources shows Mamdani as having “consistently held a large lead in the race.”
The same article comments that while the polls have not been updated in the wake of Adams’ decision to drop from the race, Caroline Soler, their polling researcher, expressed doubt that it would affect Mamdani’s lead.
“The move is unlikely to significantly affect the race. The Times/Siena poll from early September showed that his supporters preferred Andrew Cuomo when forced to choose between Cuomo and Zohran Mamdani,” said Soler. “But Adams was consistently polling below 10 percent before he ended his bid, and even if all of his supporters backed Cuomo, it would do little to close the gap with Mamdani.”
In an unexpected move, Adams had previously decided to run for Mayor as an independent candidate as a way to buy himself more time to regain support after his legal battles, according to Politico in their article on an exclusive interview with Adams.
“He also believes this liberates him to sell himself to voters as he has long wished: a former police captain dialed into public safety; a political enigma who doesn’t neatly fit into either major party,” stated Politico.
Although Adams announced his resignation from the race, his name will still be featured on the Nov. 4 ballot due to withdrawing after the deadline.