Eric Adams out of NYC Mayor election. Zohran Mamdani vs Andrew Cuomo for New York Mayor Election: Who will win?

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who has faced a federal bribery indictment and stunningly low approval ratings as the leader of the nation's largest city, dropped his bid on Sunday for a second term. His departure from the race, a little more than a month before Election Day, leaves the contest to become the city's next mayor effectively between frontrunner Democrat Zohran Mamdani and former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Adams had struggled to raise money and trailed far behind Mamdani and Cuomo, who is running as an independent, in public opinion polls. Mamdani holds a sizeable lead ahead of the November 4 election, while recent polls showed single-digit support for both Adams and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa. Adams announced he was dropping out in a nearly nine-minute video that showed him walking down stairs to Frank Sinatra's "My Way" while holding up a large photo of his late mother, just as he did when he voted for himself as mayor four years ago.

Zohran Mamdani


Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, has alarmed much of the New York business community and some within the Democratic Party with his leftist views.

The fear among Mamdani’s critics had been that Adams and Cuomo would split the opposition vote, giving Mamdani an easy victory.

President Donald Trump, a Republican who has warned about the consequences of a Mamdani win, earlier this month suggested that Adams and Sliwa pull out of the race even as the mayor swore he would remain until the end.

Trump told Reuters on Sunday he believes Cuomo will benefit from Adams' exit. "I think that gives Cuomo a much better chance," the president said in a phone interview. "I do welcome it."

Cuomo urged voters to reject "extremist forces," in an apparent reference to Mamdani. "We face destructive extremist forces that would devastate our city through incompetence or ignorance, but it is not too late to stop them," Cuomo posted on X.

Mamdani, a previously obscure state legislator, pulled off a surprising victory over Cuomo in the city's Democratic primary election. His grassroots campaign used clever social media videos to inspire an army of volunteers.

Cuomo resigned as governor in 2021 during a sexual harassment scandal even though he denied wrongdoing.

FAQs

Q1. Who is Andrew Cuomo?
A1. Andrew Cuomo is former New York Governor.

Q2. Who is Mayor of New York City?
A2. New York City Mayor is Eric Adams.