New York City Mayor Eric Adams will skip the Democratic primary and run for reelection as an independent, he announced Thursday.
It comes one day after Adams, the Democrat in the 2021 race, had his federal corruption case dismissed by a judge with prejudice.
“Although I am still a Democrat, I am announcing that I will forgo the Democratic primary for mayor and appeal directly to all New Yorkers as an independent candidate in the general election,” Adams said in a video posted on X.
Adams will bypass the crowded Democratic primary for mayor, which includes former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
A poll released last week showed Adams was trailing Cuomo, state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani and city Comptroller Brad Lander among primary voters. It gave him a slight edge over former Comptroller Scott Stringer, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, state Sen. Zellnor Myrie, state Sen. Jessica Ramos, former Assemblyman Michael Black and activist Whitney Tilson.
Judge dismisses Adams’ federal corruption case
Judge Dale Ho on Wednesday agreed to the U.S. Department of Justice’s request to drop charges against Adams. The judge dismissed the case with prejudice, which means the charges cannot be brought again at a later time.
“The case against Eric Adams should have never been brought in the first place—and finally today that case is gone forever. From Day 1, the mayor has maintained his innocence and now justice for Eric Adams and New Yorkers has prevailed,” Adams’ attorney Alex Spiro said.
Adams was charged in 2024 with abusing his power for almost a decade. A 57-page indictment accused him of receiving undisclosed gifts – including luxury travel – worth more than $100,000 in return for political favors. He allegedly solicited illegal campaign donations from wealthy foreigners and corporations, including a Turkish government official.
In arguing for the case to be dismissed, DOJ prosecutors said it would have interfered with Adams’ 2025 mayoral campaign and hinder his ability to cooperate with the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. The initial request to drop the charges noted it was not based on “the strength of the evidence or the legal theories on which the case is based.”
Adams pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.
This is a developing story. Please stay with CBS News New York for updates.
