New York City Mayor Eric Adams, seeking a second term, has decided to part ways with the Democratic Party.
Adams, who was a Republican before becoming a Democrat, formally announced his mayoral re-election campaign in a video on Thursday, stating his intention to run as an independent candidate.
“While I remain a Democrat, I am announcing that I will forego the Democratic primary for mayor and appeal directly to all New Yorkers as an Independent candidate in the general election,” Adams said in the video.
This move, occurring less than 24 hours after a judge permanently dismissed a federal corruption case against the mayor, sets the stage for a potentially intense and rapid race leading up to the November general election. The charges were initially dropped a few weeks into President Donald Trump’s second term, partly because the case would hinder Adams’ ability to perform his duties as mayor, including cooperating with Trump’s immigration enforcement efforts.
Related article: Judge dismisses Eric Adams case, declares it cannot be refiled, contradicting Trump DOJ.
Several Democrats are vying for the party’s nomination, with former Governor Andrew Cuomo currently leading in most polls.
The Democratic primary in New York, held in June, is considered the decisive race before the November election. Democrats significantly outnumber Republicans in the city; the primary winner is typically seen as the likely victor in the general election. Michael Bloomberg, a former and current Democrat, won mayoral elections in the nation’s most populous city as an independent and a Republican, spending millions of his personal fortune to do so.
Facing calls to step aside from some within the Democratic Party, Adams has largely distanced himself from the daily campaigning his opponents are already engaged in. He has skipped several forums hosted by various city unions and institutions.
Adams is on track to submit the required 3,750 signatures by the end of May to secure a place on the November ballot, according to a campaign aide.
Adams’ campaign obtained 25,000 signatures for the Democratic ballot line, but stated that his recent legal troubles prevented him from conducting a proper campaign, as he mentioned in the video released on Thursday.
“The dismissal of the baseless case against me dragged on for too long, making it impossible to mount a primary campaign while these false accusations hung over me,” Adams said.
