New York City Mayor Eric Adams dropped out of the race for re-election with this announcement on Sunday, leaving perennial Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani. “Despite all we’ve achieved, I cannot continue my re-election campaign,” Adams said in a video posted to Twitter on Sunday afternoon. “The constant media speculation about my future and the campaign finance board’s decision to withhold millions of dollars have undermined my ability to raise the funds needed for a serious campaign.” “I must also sound a warning,” Adams said. “Extremism is growing in our politics. Our children are being radicalized to hate our city and our country.” “Political anger is turning into political violence too often.” “Insidious forces use local government to advance divisive agendas with little regard for how it hurts everyday New Yorkers,” he said. “Major change is welcome and necessary, but beware of those who claim the answer is to destroy the very system we built together over generations. That is not change; that is chaos.”

MAYOR ERIC ADAMS: Nearly four years ago, Gracie Mansion became my home. Who would have thought that a kid from South Jamaica, Queens, growing up with learning disabilities, could one day become the mayor of the greatest city in the world? I cannot thank my mother enough for instilling in me the values she lived by. I hope every parent can use my life as an example for their child during challenging moments. Only in America can a story like this be told. When I was elected to serve as your mayor, I said these words: This campaign was never about me. It was about the people of this city, from every neighborhood and background, who had been left behind and believed they would never catch up. This campaign was for the underserved, the marginalized, abandoned, betrayed by government. Since then, it has been my honor to be your mayor. I’m proud to say that we took that victory four years ago and turned it into action, making this city better for those who have been failed by government. I felt immense pride serving you every day, and look at what we accomplished together. We built more housing in one term than any administration before us and removed barriers to build even more. We drove crime down so far that this year we are on track to have fewer shooters and murders than at any point in our city’s history. We raised test scores and attendance through bold education reforms. We made record investments that fueled our economy and drove employment to all-time highs. And we lowered costs for working and low-income families, expanding funding for rental vouchers, childcare, and household costs while eliminating the income tax burden for more than a half million New Yorkers. Even so, I know many New Yorkers have yet to feel the full impact of these historic achievements. I know many are still worried about affordability, about safety, and their future here. But trust me when I tell you what we’ve started will continue to reach every community in this city. It’s not always easy to see the impact of good policy in just three years. I also know some remain unsure of me after the unfortunate events surrounding my federal case. I was wrongfully charged because I fought for this city, and if I had to do it again, I would fight for New York again. Yet, despite all we’ve achieved, I cannot continue my re-election campaign. The constant media speculation about my future and the Campaign Finance Board’s decision to withhold millions of dollars have undermined my ability to raise the funds needed for a serious campaign. I hope that over time, New Yorkers will see this city thrive under our leadership and that the policies we put in place should be continued and expanded. I hope you’ll see that despite the headlines and innuendo, I always put you before me. Always. I’m proud of the historic leadership team we built, appointing the first Dominican, Indian, and Filipino deputy mayors, the first woman to serve as fire commissioner and police commissioner, the first Korean commissioner at Small Business Services, the first Spanish speaker to lead NYPD and DLT, and the first Jewish woman to head NYPD Intelligence Division. We built leadership that looks like New York. That mattered because, at my core, I’m still Dorothy Adams’ son, raised with the values she instilled in me, forged in my church and my community, tested again and again in the fight for justice. Those values, working-class values, would never allow me to betray my city. They have always guided me to ask and answer one simple question: How do I help those who need it most? Whoever follows me at City Hall must continue the work we started, lowering the cost of living, investing in quality of life, and staying laser-focused on reducing crime and disorder through investments in policing, mental health, substance abuse care, homelessness services, community-based initiatives. But I must also sound a warning: Extremism is growing in our politics. Our children are being radicalized to hate our city and our country. Political anger is turning into political violence too often. Insidious forces use local government to advance divisive agendas with little regard for how it hurts everyday New Yorkers. Major change is welcome and necessary, but beware of those who claim the answer is to destroy the very system we built together over generations. That is not change; that is chaos. Instead, I urge New Yorkers to choose leaders not by what they promise but by what they have delivered. Although this is the end of my re-election campaign, it is not the end of my public service. I will continue to fight for this city as I have for forty years since the day I joined the NYPD to make our streets safer and our systems fairer. The quest for justice is far from over. Inequality persists. Innocents still suffer. New Yorkers deserve better every single day. And until the end of my turn, I will fight for just that. We face the fallout of COVID, a surge in crime, an unprecedented migrant crisis, and economic devastation all at once. And together, we turned things around by listening to everyday people and providing solutions instead of speeches. That gives me hope. That gives us a roadmap to a better future. My fellow New Yorkers, this is your city. Its leaders work for you. I am one of you. My story is your story. I lived the struggle but never stopped loving this city. That is why I ran for mayor, to turn my pain into purpose and keep fighting for the city no matter what, from City Hall or beyond, because I am a New Yorker, and fighting for our city is just what I do. Thank you. God bless New York.