New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced on April 3 that he will seek reelection as an independent candidate.
The decision means Adams, a Democrat, will forgo the Democratic primary set for May and run in the general election.
“I had hoped to fight for [New Yorkers] again in a democratic primary for mayor, and 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 launch a primary campaign while these false accusations were held over me,” Adams said.
He made the announcement one day after a federal judge dismissed a corruption case against him with prejudice.
The case stems from a 2024 indictment that accused him of accepting illegal campaign contributions from a Turkish official and others in exchange for political favors. Adams has maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty to bribery and other charges.
The case, brought by the Justice Department during the Biden administration, was on track for trial in April until the department, under the Trump administration, moved to drop it. Adams faced even more scrutiny when those charges were dropped. He was further accused of engaging in a quid pro quo, by having the charges dismissed in exchange for cooperating with federal immigration enforcement, a notion that federal prosecutors have denied.
The judge’s decision to dismiss the case with prejudice means that the charges can’t be brought again. Adams vowed he would win reelection after the case was dropped for good.
In his video statement, he addressed New Yorkers’ concerns over the high-profile legal debacle, acknowledging it may have shaken their confidence about his conduct.
But he maintained that the city needs his leadership to fix the issues that New Yorkers are facing.
“The issues I face are nothing compared to yours,” Adams said, citing rising costs and public safety concerns.
Regardless of the move to run as an independent candidate, Adams said he is still a Democrat.
“There isn’t a liberal or conservative way to fix New York, but there is a right way and a wrong way,” Adams said in his statement.
“I’ve always put New York’s people before politics and party. And I always will.”
Adams said he “humbly” puts his record as mayor against any of the candidates’ records. He said he decreased crime and created “record levels of housing” and the most jobs ever in the city’s history.
“It wasn’t a mistake to put politics aside, defy my party when needed, and speak the voice of working New Yorkers,” he said.
Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, and New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams are among the candidates who are also running for mayor.
