"Beware Of Those Who...": Eric Adams Jabs Zohran Mamdani In Exit Speech

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has ended his struggling reelection campaign, paving the way for a three-way race between Zohran Mamdani, the Democrat nominee and a self-described socialist, Andrew Cuomo, the former Governor and fellow Democrat who is running as an independent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa to become the next mayor of America's largest city.

Sixty-five-year-old Adams, who assumed office in January 2022, posted a video on X, announcing his withdrawal, though his name will remain on the November ballot. In the video, the once-popular mayor proudly talked of his tenure as mayor despite being dogged by a slew of corruption allegations and criticism over cooperating with US President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.

"Despite all we've achieved, I cannot continue my reelection campaign," Adams said in the video.

"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."

Only in America. Only in New York.
Thank you for making my story a reality. pic.twitter.com/efHuyBnITJ

— Eric Adams (@ericadamsfornyc) September 28, 2025

Speculation that Adams wouldn't make it to Election Day has been rampant for a year. His campaign was severely wounded by both the bribery case and liberal anger over his warm relationship with President Donald Trump. 

He skipped the Democratic primary and got on the ballot as an independent. The mayoral election will take place on November 4. Adams had been polling at less than ten per cent of the vote.

Veiled Attack On Zohran Mamdani

In his statement, Adams issued a veiled criticism of Mamdani, who has zeroed in on the high cost of living by promising regulated rents, free bus travel and daycare to cement his appeal.

"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," he said.

Mamdani, 33, would be the city's youngest and most liberal mayor in generations if elected. He beat Cuomo decisively in the Democratic primary by campaigning on a promise to lower the cost of living in one of the world's most expensive cities.

In a statement after Adams' announcement, Mamdani took aim at Cuomo, who is trying to make a political comeback after resigning from the governor's office after being accused of sexual harassment by multiple women.

"New York deserves better than trading in one disgraced, corrupt politician for another. On November 4th, we are going to turn the page on the politics of big money and small ideas and deliver a government every New Yorker can be proud of," Mamdani said.

Andrew Cuomo Welcomes The Move

Rumours have swirled for weeks that Adams would drop out of the mayoral race to allow space for 67-year-old Cuomo. 

Cuomo, in a statement on social media, praised Adams for "putting the well-being of New York City ahead of personal ambition."

"We face destructive extremist forces that would devastate our city through incompetence or ignorance, but it is not too late to stop them," Cuomo said.

But political analysts believe Adam's decision, which came just 37 days before the polling, may be too late to fundamentally alter the outcome of the November election.

According to a Bloomberg report, Adams has consistently polled in fourth place in a four-candidate field. In view of his withdrawal, even if every voter who had planned to cast a ballot for him decided to vote for Cuomo instead, it is unlikely to be enough to overcome Mamdani's current polling advantages.

"If it had happened a few weeks or a few months ago, it would have represented a real sea change. It would have been a real shot in the arm for Andrew Cuomo's effort to beat Mamdani," Evan Roth Smith, a founding partner at Slingshot Strategies, told Bloomberg. 

Adams' withdrawal "doesn't represent as much of a reordering of the race as it could have if it had happened earlier...It's too little too late to really make this a whole new ballgame," Smith said.

Adams has also surpassed the September 11 deadline to have his name removed from the ballot, so he will still appear as a possible choice for voters despite his decision to drop out.