Mayor Adams Announces He Will Run For Reelection As Independent

NEW YORK CITY — New York City Mayor Eric Adams has announced he is leaving the Democratic primary and instead will run as an independent in his bid to be reelected to a second term.

In a video Thursday, Adams formally announced his plans.

“Though I am still a Democrat, I am announcing that I will forego the Democratic primary for mayor and appeal directly to all New Yorkers as an Independent candidate in the general election,” the mayor said in the video.

The announcement comes less than 24 hours after a federal judge dismissed Adams' corruption case with prejudice — essentially meaning the charges can not be refiled, Patch previously reported.

“I firmly believe that this city is better served by truly independent leadership, not leaders pulled at by the extremists at the far left or the far right, but instead those rooted in the common middle, the place where the vast majority of New Yorkers are firmly planted," Adams said.

Adams, before the announcement on Thursday, was lagging behind Ex-Gov Andrew Cuomo and Rep. Zohran Mamdani in a recent Democratic voter poll.