Breaking Down The Mayor S Race After Adams S Exit

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Dec 28, 2025, 4:27 AM

breaking down the mayor s race after adams s exit

Eric Adams ended his struggling reelection campaign Sunday, an acknowledgment that he was no longer a credible contender after a year of scandal and political turmoil. Adams’ capitulation could potentially provide a lift to the campaign of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a fellow centrist who portrayed himself as the only candidate able to beat the Democratic Party’s nominee, state Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani. New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani speaks during a press conference outside the Jacob K. Javits federal building, Aug. 7, 2025, in New York.

(AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, File) New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo speaks during a press conference, Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, File) New York City Mayor Eric Adams attends an event at the NYPD’s 40th precinct, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, in the Bronx borough of New York.

(AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File) New York City Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa speaks during a New York Young Republicans Club vigil for Turning Point USA CEO and co-founder Charlie Kirk at Madison Square Park on Friday, Sept. 12, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Kena Betancur) New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Sunday ended his campaign for reelection, changing up the race with five weeks left until the election. According to CNN, Adams made the announcement after walking down the stairs of Gracie Mansion, the official mayoral residence, while “I Did It My Way” by Frank Sinatra played, and then sitting down next...

“Only in America can a story like this be told,” Adams said. The mayor said he was ending his bid for reelection because of a lack of funding and because of a media campaign that he felt was trying to undermine his chances, per CNN. The announcement came in a nearly nine-minute-long video Adams posted on social media. He has not given any clues to what his plans are after leaving office. This week, Mayor Eric Adams announced in a nearly nine-minute video that he was dropping his struggling reelection bid. While some were surprised, others saw it as inevitable.

What does his exit mean for the rest of the field and how are the remaining candidates pivoting? The team also looks at how this move shapes Adams’ legacy. NY1’s investigative reporter Courtney Gross and political reporters Bobby Cuza and Kelly Mena break down the latest from the campaign trail. Later, the federal government shutdown continues with no end in sight, as the Trump administration looks to strip New York of billions in transportation funding. What impact will this have on the Empire State? The "Off Topic" team digs into the president’s decision to withhold funds and what it means for New Yorkers.

What happens when three New York reporters sit in a (small) room and talk politics? Join the NY1 political team each week for a conversation where no topic is off-limits and everything is on the record. APPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY IHEARTRADIO STITCHER RSS New York City Mayor Eric Adams has abandoned his run for reelection, a move that could benefit his fellow Democratic Party outsider, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The narrowed field leaves New Yorkers with the choice between Democratic candidate and front-runner Zohran Mamdani, current independent and failed Democratic primary candidate Cuomo, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa.

ERIC ADAMS DROPS OUT OF NEW YORK CITY MAYORAL RACE Adams consistently polled between 6% and 12% throughout September. Those who supported him are most likely now to give their votes to the other moderate Democrat and relative party outcast, Cuomo. However, Adams did not endorse any candidate in his video announcement suspending his campaign. Mamdani was hovering at 45%, according to the most recent poll from Suffolk University from mid September. Cuomo came in about 20 points behind at 25%.

Sliwa secured 11% of the vote, and Adams just 7%. New York City Mayor Eric Adams has announced he will not seek re-election, a decision that immediately reshapes the upcoming mayoral race and leaves the Democratic primary wide open. The unexpected departure sets the stage for a dramatic scramble among potential contenders, with a focus now shifting towards a field that could lean significantly more progressive. Adams’s withdrawal, citing a desire to focus on his current term’s challenges without the pressures of a re-election campaign, has sent ripples through the city’s political landscape. His exit eliminates an incumbent who had previously faced declining approval ratings and a growing array of challengers from across the political spectrum. With Mayor Adams out, attention has rapidly turned to a diverse group of prospective candidates.

Among those now considered a central figure is Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani of Queens, whose progressive platform and grassroots organizing have positioned him as a formidable contender in a potentially less crowded field. “Mayor Adams’s exit has fundamentally altered the calculus of this race,” stated political analyst Dr. Lena Hanson. “It’s no longer about challenging an incumbent but about defining the future direction of the city. For progressives, this is a moment of immense opportunity, and individuals like Mamdani are well-positioned to capitalize on it.” Other notable figures who may now intensify their campaigns or consider new bids include Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Comptroller Brad Lander, and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, among others.

The void left by the mayor creates a power vacuum, potentially leading to a more competitive and ideologically diverse primary. Find this story in your account’s ‘Saved for Later’ section. Eric Adams’s long-shot reelection campaign is over. The mayor of New York City announced on Sunday that he’s dropping out after months of speculation over whether he could be convinced to leave the race following a scandalous first term that left... Here’s our account of how his exit went down, including reactions, commentary, and analysis. Although Adams’s reelection dreams have come to an end, the mayor’s legal fights go on.

The Daily News reports Adams will continue to challenge the Campaign Finance Board’s decision to withhold millions of dollars of funds from his campaign, with his attorney writing in a filing that “campaign expenditures... This time from The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board: New York Mayor Eric Adams finally abandoned his campaign for re-election on Sunday, and the shame is he didn’t do it sooner. He’d have given the city a better chance of defeating socialist Zohran Mamdani. After his failed reelection bid, it’s hard to see politics in Adams' future. The political downfall of Eric Adams -- and his announcement Sunday that he is suspending his campaign for mayor -- is remarkable in that just four years ago, he was considered a burgeoning voice...

At one point, perhaps unsurprisingly given the bravado he is known for, Adams even declared himself the future of the Democratic Party. Now, after the crash and burn of his reelection bid, it’s hard to see politics in his future at all. In 2021, Adams won as a propolice moderate who said public safety would be a marker of the success of his tenure at a time when the phrase "defund the police" was embraced on... A proud ex-cop, he rejected the political correctness of the so-called "progressive elite" as he made campaign appeals to working-class New Yorkers. Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani defeated former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who ran as a third-party candidate, after also defeating Cuomo in a June primary.

Republican Curtis Sliwa was also in the race. Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams was also running as a third-party hopeful but dropped out of the race this fall, though his name still appeared on ballots. The expected vote is the total number of votes that are expected in a given race once all votes are counted. This number is an estimate and is based on several different factors, including information on the number of votes cast early as well as information provided to our vote reporters on Election Day from... The figure can change as NBC News gathers new information. Source: Vote data via the Associated Press.

Breaking Down The Mayor S Race After Adams S Exit

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