Eric Adams drops out of New York City mayor’s race, ending his bid for reelection

New York City Mayor Eric Adams is dropping his bid for reelection, setting up a three-way race between Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa to lead America’s largest city.

Adams, who took office in January 2022, announced he was dropping out of the mayor’s race in a video posted to his social media Sunday afternoon. His name will still appear on the November ballot.  

There was intense speculation about the mayor’s future over the last few months. Most polls showed him with single digit support, well behind Mamdani, the Democratic nominee; Cuomo, an independent; and Sliwa, the Republican candidate.  

The mayor previously blasted speculation that he would drop his reelection bid. In a Sept. 5 news conference, he said he was “the only one that can beat [Zohran] Mamdani,” insisted he was remaining in the race, and referred to the Democratic frontrunner and former governor as “two spoiled brats.”   

It has been a tumultuous year overall for Adams, who took office in January 2022. He has faced a corruption scandal and criticism over his relationship with the Trump administration.  

White House floated new job for NYC Mayor Adams

Prior to the mayor dropping out, sources told CBS News New York that the White House was looking into possible government positions to persuade him to exit the race.

Sources told CBS News New York’s political reporter Marcia Kramer that during a trip to Florida, Adams met with Steve Witkoff, a New York real estate investor and close adviser to the president.

“While I will always listen if called to serve our country, no formal offers have been made. I am still running for reelection, and my full focus is on the safety and quality of life of every New Yorker,” Adams said in early September, as speculation about his potential departure swirled. 

The mayor called the reports just rumors. 

“To say, would you take a job in the administration or would I take it somewhere else, that’s hypothetical,” Adams said on Sept. 3. “I’m running for office and I’m going to finish doing that. I got work to do.”

President Trump said he wanted to see a one-on-one race against Mamdani, adding two of the candidates should leave the race to make that happen, in hopes of uniting independent and Republican voters against the democratic socialist. 

Both Adams and Sliwa previously dismissed the suggestion and vowed to stay in the running. Cuomo had said he would drop out if he wasn’t leading in the polls among the potential challengers to Mamdani heading into Election Day. Independent candidate Jim Walden already left the race, although a court decided his name will remain on the final ballot despite his dropping out. 

Mamdani responded to what he called Mr. Trump’s “meddling” in the race, calling it “an affront to our democracy.” He later challenged the president to face him in a debate, saying, “let’s cut out the middleman.”

Trump administration squashed Adams’ corruption case

It was not the first time Mr. Trump put presidential pressure on New York City politics. Upon taking office earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Justice directed federal prosecutors in New York to dismiss their federal bribery case against Adams.

The directive led acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Danielle Sassoon to resign, along with other members of her office. 

The charges were ultimately dropped with prejudice, meaning they cannot be filed again in the future. 

Adams’ political opponents repeatedly called on him to resign, claiming he would be under the president’s influence. The mayor remained defiant, insisting there was no quid-pro-quo and launching his reelection campaign. 

Adams administration dogged by corruption allegations

Adams was accused of soliciting illegal campaign donations from wealthy and corporate donors and using them to tap into matching election funds in the 2021 race. 

As part of the investigation, he was accused of accepting lavish bribes, like flight upgrades and luxury hotel rooms, in exchange for his political influence once he got into office. He pleaded not guilty and denied any wrongdoing.

The FBI raided several members of Adams’ inner circle last fall, leading to a flurry of resignations. More of his administration stepped down this February, and his longtime adviser Ingrid Lewis-Martin was indicted on new bribery charges as recently as this August. 

His former campaign fundraiser, Winnie Greco, was also recently accused of handing a journalist an envelope of cash inside a bag of potato chips. The mayor denied involvement with either incident. 

This is breaking news. Please stay with CBS News New York for updates. 

Mark Prussin

contributed to this report.