New York City mayoral candidate and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued a plea to defeat “destructive extremist forces” after Mayor Eric Adams ended his reelection bid, a move that could help Cuomo narrow the gap with Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani.
“The choice @ericadamsfornyc made today was not an easy one, but I believe he is sincere in putting the well-being of New York City ahead of personal ambition,” Cuomo said in a post on the social platform X on Sunday.
“We face destructive extremist forces that would devastate our city through incompetence or ignorance, but it is not too late to stop them,” he added. “Mayor Adams has much to be proud of in his accomplishments. Only in New York can a child raised in a tenement in Bushwick, who once worked as a squeegee boy and a mailroom clerk, rise to become mayor.”
Adams’s decision to end his reelection bid sets up a three-way race between Mamdani, Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa.
Mamdani, a democratic socialist who serves in the New York State Assembly, has held a major lead in polls of the mayor’s race after defeating Cuomo in the Democratic primary in June. Cuomo is now running as an independent.
Mamdani in a statement on Sunday painted President Trump and his “billionaire donors” as attempting to push Adams to end his bid to bolster Cuomo.
“New York deserves better than trading in one disgraced, corrupt politician for another. On November 4th, we are going to turn the page on the politics of big money and small ideas and deliver a government every New Yorker can be proud of,” Mamdani said.
Speculation swirled earlier this year following multiple reports that members of the Trump administration were weighing a position for Adams in an effort to get him out of the race to set up a match-up between Cuomo and Mamdani.
Meanwhile, Sliwa indicated he plans to stay in the race, writing in a post on X that he is “the only candidate who can defeat Mamdani.”
“Our team, our resources, and our supporters are unmatched. Most importantly, we have the best solutions to help working people afford to stay in New York City and feel safe,” he added.
That could continue to splinter the vote of those who oppose Mamdani.
A Suffolk University CityView poll released last week found Sliwa drawing 9 percent support, ahead of Adams’s 8 percent. Cuomo drew 25 percent, while Mamdani led with 45 percent.
Adams, via a video posted Sunday on X, announced his exit from the race while touting his in-office accomplishments.
“Whoever follows me at City Hall must continue the work we started: lowering the cost of living, investing in quality of life, and staying laser-focused on reducing crime and disorder through investments in policing, mental health, substance abuse care, homelessness services and community-based initiatives,” he said.
The Hill has reached out to Mamdani’s campaign for further comment.
