NYC Mayor Adams to Skip Democratic Primary, Run for Reelection as Independent
New York City, April 3, 2025 – Mayor Eric Adams announced today that he will bypass the Democratic primary scheduled for June 24 and instead run for reelection as an independent candidate in the November 2025 general election. The decision, revealed in a six-minute video released early Thursday morning, marks a stunning pivot for the embattled mayor, who has faced mounting legal and political challenges since his 2021 victory. Adams, a registered Democrat and former police captain, framed the move as a rejection of partisan extremes and a bid to appeal directly to New York’s “common middle.”
A Strategic Shift
Adams’ announcement ends months of speculation about his political future. “I firmly believe this city is better served by truly independent leadership—not leaders pulled at by the extremists at the far left or the far right, but instead those rooted in the common middle, where the vast majority of New Yorkers are firmly planted,” he said in the video, posted on his campaign’s X account at 3 a.m. PDT. The mayor argued that his federal bribery charges, dismissed without prejudice by the Trump administration’s Justice Department on Wednesday, April 2, had crippled his ability to wage a primary campaign, stating, “The case dragged on too long while false accusations were held over me.”
The move sidesteps a crowded Democratic field, including former Governor Andrew Cuomo, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams (no relation), and progressive heavyweights like Comptroller Brad Lander and State Senator Jessica Ramos. With petitions due today—the deadline for primary ballot access—Adams’ campaign had raised just $190,000 since July 2024, totaling $4.1 million, far below the $8 million spending cap with anticipated matching funds. Posts on X suggest he faced a “mauling” in the primary, with one user noting, “It’s a smart move—he would’ve been toast against Cuomo and Lander.”
A Trump Connection Fuels Controversy
Adams’ decision follows a tumultuous year. Indicted in September 2024 on five counts of bribery, fraud, and conspiracy tied to alleged illegal campaign donations from Turkish nationals, he saw his approval rating plummet to 26% in an October Marist poll, with 69% of New Yorkers urging resignation. The charges’ dismissal—ordered by Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove amid claims it hindered Adams’ support for Trump’s immigration goals—drew resignations from seven DOJ prosecutors and cries of political favoritism. Adams’ refusal to criticize Trump, coupled with meetings at Mar-a-Lago and praise for border czar Tom Homan, has alienated many Democrats.
“I have always put New York’s people before politics and party—and I always will,” Adams insisted, positioning himself as unbound by ideology. Critics, however, see a quid pro quo. “He’s too indebted to Trump now,” said Michael Blake, a Democratic mayoral hopeful, echoing sentiments on X where users speculate Adams is “cozying up to Trump to save himself.”
An Uphill Independent Run
Running as an independent, Adams must gather signatures between April 15 and May 27 to secure a general election ballot spot—potentially alongside a Democratic nominee and Republican Curtis Sliwa, his 2021 opponent. New York’s fusion voting allows candidates to run on multiple lines, but Adams is opting for a solo path, a rarity since Mayor John Lindsay’s 1969 Liberal Party win after losing the Republican primary. In a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans six-to-one, and with his base of Black and Latino outer-borough voters shifting rightward in 2024’s presidential race, Adams bets on a centrist appeal.
The reaction is mixed. Supporters on X call it “brilliant—Adams knows his lane,” while detractors label it “a waste of time” in a blue stronghold. His fundraising lags behind Cuomo’s $1.5 million haul in 13 days, and legal bills from WilmerHale strain his resources. Still, Adams touts his record—crime down 11% citywide in 2024, per NYPD stats—and vows to fight for working-class families.
A Race Redefined
As Adams exits the Democratic fray, the primary tightens around Cuomo, Adrienne Adams, and progressives like Lander and Zohran Mamdani, who raised $1.4 million recently. The winner will face Adams in November, testing whether his independent gambit can defy NYC’s partisan tide. For now, the mayor who once declared himself the “face of the new Democratic Party” charts an unorthodox course, leaving New Yorkers—and the nation—watching a political experiment unfold.
