NEW YORK — Mayor Eric Adams is opting out of New York City’s Democratic primary and running for reelection as an independent — embarking on narrow path as he further isolates himself from the city’s dominant political party.
The mayor confirmed his plans exclusively to POLITICO. In an interview Monday, Adams said he would “mount a real independent campaign” that relies on “a solid base of people” outside Manhattan, with an emphasis on ethnic minorities who boosted him to victory four years ago. He lamented how the bribery charges federal prosecutors hit him with in September — which a judge dismissed Wednesday — “handcuffed” him, and he promised to be “uninhibited” on the campaign trail.
“I have been this racehorse that has been held back,” he added. “This is so unnatural for me.”
The result is likely to be a chaotic spectacle in the nation’s largest city, which shifted slightly to the right last November: A showdown between a pugnacious mayor who has irrevocable ties to President Donald Trump, and the winner of the Democratic primary, which Andrew Cuomo is leading.
Adams plans to submit the requisite 3,750 signatures due May 27 to secure a November ballot spot on a public safety-focused line, he and an aide told POLITICO. On Thursday he’s releasing a campaign video in which he discusses his personal trials, expresses regret for lapses in judgment and derides his opponents as soft on crime.
MORE:
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/03/eric-adams-reelection-independent-00267865