Cole Welsh, Editor

Just weeks away from the closely watched New York City mayoral election, Mayor Eric Adams announced he is ending his re-election campaign.

The incumbent mayor announced his decision Sunday in a video posted on X, citing media speculation and the withholding of public matching funds.

As the deadline for his name to be removed from the ballot already passed, Adam’s name will still appear on the ballot.

Adams, running as an independent, had previously resisted calls to drop out of the race.

Rivals of Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani had long sought for Adams to withdraw, concerned that he and independent candidate Andrew Cuomo would split the vote.

In the past several weeks, Adams had been polling behind Mamdani, Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa.

As a retired NYPD captain and former Brooklyn borough president, Adams was elected in 2021 on a platform prioritizing public safety and economic recovery. Defeating several candidates to his left in that year’s Democratic primary, his campaign’s focus on reducing crime delivered a broad coalition that spanned across the city’s five boroughs.

However, the mayor and his administration soon became embroiled in numerous corruption scandals involving his inner circle and members of his administration.

In 2024, Adams himself was indicted on a slew of crimes, including bribery, conspiracy and campaign finance violations. Then-U.S. Attorney Damian Williams alleged that Adams abused his current position, along with his past role as borough president, to take bribes and solicit illegal campaign contributions.

However, the charges against the mayor were dropped in April in what his critics described as a quid pro quo with the Trump administration.

Both Adams and the Justice Department have denied that any quid pro quo took place.

Shortly after the corruption case against him was dismissed, Adams opted out of the Democratic primary to run as an independent in the general election.

This election, Adams was hoping to galvanize support from across racial and political lines.

Over the summer, Adams picked up endorsements from multiple law enforcement labor unions, including those representing the city’s detectives, sergeants, lieutenants and captains.

He also earned the support of the New York Post’s editorial board and Republican businessman John Catsimatidis.

While Adams failed to break single digits in the polls, his withdrawal from the race could still make a difference.

Many political pundits speculate that political moderates who previously supported Adams will shift their support to Cuomo in a head-to-head matchup against self-described democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani.

Republican Curt Sliwa, who has achieved around 15% in most polls, remains in the race and has rejected calls to drop out.

While Assemblyman Mamdani appears to still be the favorite in the three-way race, it remains to be seen how exactly Adams’ withdrawal will change the race.

With a competitive mayoral race well underway that could serve as a litmus test for national political trends, all eyes will be on New York City come November.