Eric Adams is out—and New York City’s mayoral race just got messier

With only 36 days before the voters could have launched it themselves, the mayor of New York, Eric Adams, spared himself by humiliation. Sunday, he announced that he was abandoning his campaign for a second term – a race he Never had a chance to be won.

In almost nine -minute video Located on Frank Sinatra’s “My Way”, Adams admitted that there was no way to re -election and said that he would conclude his rocky mandate at the end of the year.

“Despite everything we have accomplished,” he said, “I cannot continue my re-election campaign.”

Rather than having his scandals – allegations of federal prosecutors corruption Abandoned earlier this year After what looked like a quid pro quo With President Donald Trump, or the advisor caught Try to bribe A journalist last month – Adads blamed the “media speculation continues” and the City campaign financing board for Refusing assorted funds to him Like the last nails in the coffin.

Adams campaign had been stuck in figures to one For months, with Democratic socialist The Zohran Mamdani assembly runs away with the race – even without completely consolidate support Among the Democrats of the New York Establishment. But the mayor did not approve Mamdani – or anyone else – when it came out. Instead, he issued a warning of what he called the “insidious forces” pushing the “division agendas” and radicalizing young people to “hate our city and our country”.

“Major change is welcome and necessary,” said Adams. “But beware of those who claim that the answer is to destroy the very system that we have built together during generations.”

He also resumed some attacks. According to the remarks for which he had prepared The New York TimesAdams originally planned to explode Andrew Cuomo – who resigned As governor in 2021 after numerous allegations of sexual harassment and is now Run as an independent After Lose democratic primary– He which is “a snake and a liar”. The cut lines could mean that ADAMs could end up supporting Cuomo before the November elections.

The decision to leave ends weeks of behind the scenes. Publicly, Adams insisted He would stay in the race. In private, he was looking for an exit ramp – including a Possible ambassador to Saudi Arabia. Adams itself Flying for Florida In early September to meet the billionaire Trump Steve Witkoff on the role, but Trump’s team killed talks after disclosing to the press. Trump has never extended an offer.

Adams also had Courties of business leaders On possible jobs in the private sector to withdraw. It is not known if official offers have been concluded. Through all this, he has sworn to continue running – until recent days he has started working on a story that has changed the fault of his failure campaign on external forces.

His departure is not content to erase the field – he could reshape the race. Trump openly agitated for Adams and the candidate of the Gop Curtis Sliwa to abandon, in order to consolidate the opposition to Mamdani, even by threatening (Again, Monday morning) has retain federal funding from New York if Mamdani wins.

Now Cuomo sees an opening. According to Times, he lowers the support of black and orthodox Jewish voters who had supported Adams, while unlocking donations to six and seven figures from business leaders who had been on the sidelines. But with so little time, catch Mamdani won’t be easy. The polls show that Adams supporters are too little To radically move the race.

Cuomo, who intervenes in second position, could gain ground if he convinces Sliwa to abandon also. But Sliwa refused all the supplications, even of Trump, who rejected her As a non -serial candidate.

Mamdani, meanwhile, is ready for November. In a Sunday video, he made fun of Adams and Cuomo.

“In Andrew Cuomo, you have your wish: you wanted Trump and your billionaire friends to help you clean up the ground”, he said. “But don’t forget, you wanted me as your opponent in the primary too, and We are fighting you by 13 points. Looking forward to redoing it on November 4. »»

Cuomo took a more sober tone, praising Adams’ decision and insisting that “changes all the dynamics of the race”.

“We are faced with an existential threat in extreme radicalism that threatens the existence of this city as we know it,” he said.

Then there was the minority chief of Hakeem Jeffries, who did not approve Mamdani but took a moment on Sunday to rent Adams for his long service.

“Eric Adams served courageously and authentically for decades as a member of the NYPD, the Senate of New York State, in Brooklyn Borough Hall, and as 110th mayor”, Jeffries saidAccording to several media reports.

Adams, a former police captain who once seemed ready to restore the order of New York after the post, leaves behind a mixed inheritance: a drop in crime rates and an economy of resurgence, but also Relentless scandal And a city that had tired of its boastful.

Even in his farewell, Adams tried to appear optimistic. Sitting on the steps of Gracie Mansion next to a photo of his mother, he checked the achievements and insisted that he had been “wrongly charged because I fought for this city”.

“I hope that over time, New Yorkers will see that this city has prospered under our direction,” he said.

We saw it coming. Adams may have left, but that does not facilitate victory for the victory for Mamdani’s rivals. So long, Eric.