Democrats are dropping like flies. They don’t want to trudge forward with their broken Party.
And this top Democrat just dropped out of a major election in a twist that surprised everyone.
Eric Adams declared on Thursday that he’s abandoning his pursuit of the Democratic nomination for mayor, opting instead to throw his hat into the ring as an independent candidate in a daring, high-stakes gamble. The announcement, delivered via a slick campaign video, landed like a thunderbolt—just 24 hours after a federal judge slammed the door shut on a corruption case that had dogged the mayor’s tenure.
Adams didn’t mince words in his six-minute address, reflecting on the toll of the now-defunct legal battle. “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,” he said.
The mayor, however, made it clear he’s not ready to bow out. “But I’m not a quitter. I’m a New Yorker,” he asserted.
“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 embattled leader pitched his pivot as a remedy for a city weary of partisan bickering, claiming his track record proves he prioritizes New Yorkers over political gamesmanship.
“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.
Insiders told the New York Post that Adams had been quietly weighing this audacious move for weeks as his unprecedented criminal case lingered. In his video, he didn’t shy away from the elephant in the room, acknowledging the shadow cast by the allegations.
“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 admitted. “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.”
With a nod to the electorate, he added, “Ultimately, it will be up to you who runs this city for the next four years. As someone who has always fought for you and who is accountable to only you, I hope I can earn your vote.”
— Eric Adams (@ericadamsfornyc) April 3, 2025
But the road ahead is anything but smooth. First reported by Politico, Adams’ leap to the general election as an independent is a Herculean challenge, especially after a first term battered by scandals and sinking approval ratings.
Some political watchers see a faint glimmer of a “Lazarus-like” revival for the seasoned campaigner, while skeptics argue his political fate is already sealed.
To secure his spot, Adams plans to file petitions with the Board of Elections on May 27—sidestepping Thursday’s deadline, when other Democrats, including former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, were set to make their moves.
Needing about 3,750 more signatures to qualify, his war chest is lean, with just $3 million on hand as of last month. That figure follows a dismal initial fundraising haul of $36,000, a far cry from the momentum he’ll need to sway voters.
The announcement’s timing was no accident, coming hot on the heels of a pivotal ruling from Manhattan federal Judge Dale Ho. On Wednesday, Ho dismissed Adams’ corruption case with prejudice—ensuring it can’t be resurrected—going beyond the Trump Justice Department’s request for a dismissal without prejudice.
In a sharp rebuke, Ho suggested the DOJ’s approach hinted at a ploy to keep the threat of prosecution dangling over Adams’ head.
As the dust settles, Adams’ independent run promises to reshape the mayoral race, testing whether a city bruised by division and disillusionment will rally behind his vision—or turn the page entirely.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
