New York City Mayor Eric Adams is ending his bid for re-election he announced Sunday, Sept. 28, leaving the race for the next mayor of the Big Apple to be a likely contest between Democrat Zohran Mamdani and former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Adams had been running far behind Mamdani and Cuomo, who is running as an independent, according to public opinion polls, with Mamdani holding a sizeable lead ahead of the Nov. 4 election. Adams had also struggled to raise money to fund his campaign.
“Despite all we’ve achieved, I cannot continue my reelection campaign,” Adams said in a video posted to X.
“Only in America. Only in New York,” Adams captioned the X post. “Thank you for making my story a reality.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul says she was ‘proud to work’ with Adams
New York Governor Kathy Hochul was quick to react to the news of Adams’ suspension of his reelection bid.
“For the last four years I’ve been proud to work with Mayor Adams to make New York City safer, stronger, and more affordable,” Hochul wrote on X Sunday afternoon. “During that time we have delivered much needed housing for New Yorkers, including the passage of the mayor’s visionary City of Yes plan.”
Hochul officially endorsed Mamdani for NYC mayor in an op-ed for the New York Times that published Sept. 15, writing that she believed Mamdani has “the courage, urgency and optimism New York City needs to lead it through the challenges of this moment.”
The Republican candidate on the ballot is Guardian Angels founder and radio host Curtis Sliwa, who has earned the endorsement of Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik.
Adams, a former captain of the New York City Police Department, will have served only a single term as mayor. The election for the next mayor of New York City is Tuesday, Nov. 4.
Contributing: REUTERS
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: NYC Mayor Eric Adams ends reelection bid, setting up likely Mamdani-Cuomo showdown Nov. 4
Reporting by Ashley Catherine Fontones, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
