One day after a federal corruption charge against him was dismissed by a judge, New York City mayor Eric Adams announced on Thursday that he would not run as a Democrat for reelection.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the mayor, who is still a Democrat but will be running as an independent, plans to run with a party that emphasizes safety for all.
Adams won’t be running for the Democratic Party in the June primary elections, where he faced a crowded field, but he will be running as an independent in the general election in November.
Adams revealed the news via a video that was posted early on X Thursday morning.
Adams stated in an announcement, “More than 25,000 New Yorkers had signed my Democratic Primary petition. However, the dismissal of this bogus case took too long. I couldn’t run a primary while these false allegations were held against me.”
“But I’m not a quitter. I’m a New Yorker,” Adams said. “I am still a Democrat but today I announce that I will not run for Mayor and instead appeal directly to New Yorkers by running as an independent candidate for the general election.”
Adams denied all corruption accusations in the video but acknowledged he had made mistakes.
The mayor stated, “I understand that the accusations against me may well have shaken your trust in me, and you may have legitimately had questions about my conduct.” “Let me make it clear that although the accusations against me were false I did trust people I shouldn’t have, and I regret that.”
Frank Carone is a close advisor to Adams. He said that changing his strategy would give Adams more time to launch a campaign after months of fighting the criminal case.
Carone stated, “He will use every opportunity to deliver his message to New Yorkers.”
Adams kept his campaign plans under wraps, waiting to announce them until the Justice Department dropped the charges against him. The Justice Department claimed that the proceedings distracted him from managing the city and helping Donald Trump fight crime and illegal immigration.
Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the front-runner in the primary held on June 1, will be facing Adams and the Republican nominee if he is successful.
Carone stated that the mayor will campaign on his successes, which include the city’s recovery from the COVID-19 epidemic. Adams, who is a former New York City Police Department Officer, will also focus on the drop in violent crimes under his administration.
Adam must collect 3,750 signatures on a petition by the end of May to be placed on the ballot for the election of November under a brand new party.
His strategists hope that the general election will bring in centrist Democrats and Republicans, as mayoral races are often won by the Democratic Party primary winner.