New York City Mayor Eric Adams ended his reelection campaign on Sunday, citing financial struggles and relentless speculation about his future. His decision reshapes the city’s mayoral race only weeks before the November vote.
Adams announced the withdrawal in a video posted to X on Sunday. “Despite all we’ve achieved, I cannot continue my re-election campaign,” he said, pointing to the Campaign Finance Board’s decision to deny him public matching funds.
Strategists say Adams’ exit could tighten the contest between Mamdani and Cuomo, though Mamdani remains the frontrunner. Party officials and donors worried that his presence would split moderate Democratic support, all but ensuring Mamdani’s victory. His campaign never gained traction, with his polling numbers slipping to single digits in recent months.
Polls had shown Adams trailing badly in a crowded field. Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani has consistently led by double digits, with former governor Andrew Cuomo running as an independent and Republican Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels, also in the race.
He pledged to make New York the “global capital of cryptocurrency,” pushing blockchain integration in city services. His proposals included using blockchain for municipal recordkeeping, allowing residents to pay fines and taxes in crypto, and even issuing Bitcoin-backed municipal bonds.
Adams, who took office in Jan. 2022, quickly made a national name for himself as one of the most pro-crypto politicians in America. He famously converted his first three paychecks into Bitcoin and Ethereum, a symbolic move that earned him the nickname “Bitcoin Mayor.”
