Overview

• Adams announced in a social media video on September 28 that he is ending his re-election bid, saying he lacks the money to continue.
• His withdrawal turns the November 4 contest into a de facto two-person race between Democrat Zorán Mamdani and independent Andrew Cuomo.
• News reports say the Trump administration pressed Adams to step aside and considered offering him the Saudi ambassadorship as inducement.
• Recent polling shows Mamdani leading the field, with his wealth-redistribution platform drawing concern from affluent voters and some Democrats.
• Adams, a Democrat who ran as an independent after a corruption indictment last year, had struggled for support; President Trump has repeatedly attacked Mamdani and told Reuters the exit boosts Cuomo.