NYC Mayor Eric Adams made waves this morning by revealing that he’s bowing out of the Democratic primary for mayor. Instead, he’s taking a gamble on a risky independent run, hoping to bypass party lines altogether.
He broke the news in a campaign video, less than a day after a federal judge threw out the corruption case that had shadowed him for months.
“More than 25,000 New Yorkers signed my Democratic primary petition, but the dismissal of the bogus case against me dragged on too long, making it impossible to mount a primary campaign while these false accusations were held over me,” Adams said during the six-minute address.
“But I’m not a quitter. I’m a New Yorker,” he continued. “And that is why today, although I am still a Democrat, I am announcing that I will forgo the Democratic primary for mayor and appeal directly to all New Yorkers as an independent candidate in the general election.”
Adams argued that the city doesn’t need more political division, saying he’s always prioritized the needs of everyday residents over partisan loyalties.
“I firmly believe that this city is better served by truly independent leadership, not leaders pulled at by the extremists on the far left or the far right, but instead those rooted in the common middle, the place where the vast majority of New Yorkers are firmly planted,” Adams said.
Sources familiar with his thinking told The NY Post that Adams had been seriously considering a nonpartisan run for some time, especially as the legal cloud hanging over him refused to clear.
In the campaign video, he touched on the legal saga, admitting that the scandal may have eroded public trust.
“I know that the accusations leveled against me may have shaken your confidence in me and that you may rightly have questions about my conduct,” he said.
“And let me be clear, although the charges against me were false, I trusted people I should not have and I regret that. But the issues I face are nothing compared to yours.”
“Ultimately, it will be up to you who runs this city for the next four years,” he added. “As someone who has always fought for you and who is accountable to only you, I hope I can earn your vote.”
Even with the case behind him, Adams now faces the daunting challenge of convincing voters to give him another shot after a turbulent first term that saw declining approval ratings and persistent controversy.
Some supporters think Adams still has a shot at political redemption, likening it to a miraculous comeback, while others believe his political fate is already sealed.
Instead of filing Thursday alongside other Democratic hopefuls like ex-Governor Andrew Cuomo, Adams will deliver his petitions to the Board of Elections on May 27.
To make it onto the ballot as an independent, Adams needs around 3,750 more valid signatures. He’s also working with limited funds — with just $3 million in his campaign account as of last month, following a dismal fundraising period that saw only $36,000 in new contributions.
His announcement came shortly after a key legal victory: Manhattan federal Judge Dale Ho finally ruled on the case’s fate, deciding not only to drop the charges but to do so in a way that prevents them from being resurrected.
Ho’s ruling went beyond what the Department of Justice under President Trump had requested. While DOJ officials had asked for a dismissal without prejudice, Ho slammed that approach, saying it appeared to leave the door open for politically motivated charges down the line.
{Matzav.com}