The political downfall of Eric Adams — and his announcement Sunday that he is suspending his campaign for mayor — is remarkable in that just four years ago, he was considered a burgeoning voice in Democratic politics.
At one point, perhaps unsurprisingly given the bravado he is known for, Adams even declared himself the future of the Democratic Party.
Now, after the crash and burn of his reelection bid, it’s hard to see politics in his future at all.
In 2021, Adams won as a propolice moderate who said public safety would be a marker of the success of his tenure at a time when the phrase “defund the police” was embraced on the left. A proud ex-cop, he rejected the political correctness of the so-called “progressive elite” as he made campaign appeals to working-class New Yorkers.
“We can’t be so idealistic that we’re not realistic,” Adams told ABC “This Week” anchor George Stephanopoulos in July 2021. “Cities are hurting all across America and New York personifies that pain, the inequalities, the gun violence, the lack of really looking after everyday blue collar workers, I like to say, and we have failed for so many years and we’ve allowed to fallout of the Trump administration, to have an overreach in philosophy and not on-the-ground real issues that are facing everyday New Yorkers.”
Adams’ indictment on corruption charges hampered confidence in his electability and decimated his fundraising efforts. Even after the case was dismissed, Adams’ perceived coziness with the President Donald Trump and his administration further eroded what was left of his popularity.
Adams was polling in the single digits when he dropped out on Sunday, according to a recent Fox News poll. Support for Adams was so low, that it’s unlikely that the small share of his supporters will make a significant difference for any of the candidates remaining in the race.
Now, New York voters could very well elect the kind of candidate Adams often sought to disparage. In the video announcing his exit from the race, Adams took what could be considered a veiled swipe at the Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, an unapologetic progressive.
“Major change is welcome and necessary — but beware of those who claim the answer is to destroy the very systems we built together over generations. That is not change. That is chaos,” Adams said. “Instead, I urge New Yorkers to choose leaders not by what they promise, but by what they have delivered.”
Mamdani has dominated in polling in the lead up to the race. He’s far ahead of the remaining candidates including former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, according to the recent Fox News poll. Mamdani beat Cuomo by double digits in the Democratic primary held in June.
Mamdani’s ascent is not solely a reaction to the failings of Adams, his administration and the malfeasance it has come to represent — but it’s also arguably a reaction to the polarizing Trump presidency in a city where Democrats far outnumber Republicans.
As Adams exits, the energy appears to be with progressives, a reversal of the wave that carried him to Gracie Mansion.