Mayor Adams Abandons Democratic Primary Following Court’s Case Dismissal Decision [WATCH]

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced Thursday that he will not seek the Democratic nomination for re-election, opting instead to run as an independent candidate in the 2025 general election, as reported by The New York Post.

The announcement came just one day after a federal judge dismissed a long-running corruption case against him.

In a six-minute video, Adams confirmed he will bypass the primary process, despite having gathered more than 25,000 petition signatures to qualify for the Democratic ballot.

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“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.

“But I’m not a quitter. I’m a New Yorker,” he added.

“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.”

The decision marks a significant turn in the mayor’s political strategy. Adams, who has faced mounting scandals and criticism throughout his first term, cited the growing division between political extremes as a motivation for his decision.

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“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 close to the mayor told The New York Post that Adams had been considering an independent campaign for weeks as his legal issues remained unresolved.

Those issues came to a close Wednesday, when U.S. District Judge Dale Ho dismissed the federal corruption case with prejudice—effectively barring it from being refiled.

Adams addressed the controversy in his video.

“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,” Adams 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.”

The independent run presents a challenging path forward. With only about $3 million in campaign funds as of last month and a poor fundraising showing of just $36,000 in his last filing period, Adams faces stiff competition from a crowded Democratic field.

Candidates including New York State Senator Zellnor Myrie and former Governor Andrew Cuomo are already in the race. Other contenders and local leaders wasted no time in criticizing Adams for his pivot away from the Democratic primary.

“This is yet another move by Eric Adams that brings him closer to Trump. New York needs a mayor who stands up to the president, not one who caves to him. I won’t let Donald Trump take over our city,” said NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams.

“Let me get this straight. Donald Trump’s doing his best every day to destroy our country. Andrew Cuomo’s trying to use our city for own personal redemption tour. And now Eric Adams… don’t even get me started. This isn’t leadership, this is a circus,” said State Sen. Myrie. “This is our home, not their comeback stage.”

Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani of Queens added, “Just one day after a slimy deal from Donald Trump got his corruption charges dropped, Eric Adams has officially left the Democratic party.”

He continued, “The irony is, there is nothing ‘independent’ about Eric Adams, who is completely beholden to real estate moguls, billionaires, and the far-right.”

NYC Democrat Mayor Eric Adams just announced he is dropping out of the Democrat primary and will instead run for reelection as an independent. pic.twitter.com/PM9d9yCYeg

— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) April 3, 2025

Adams is expected to submit new petitions for his independent candidacy to the New York City Board of Elections by May 27. He needs at least 3,750 additional valid signatures to qualify.

The general election is scheduled for November 2025.

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