New York City Mayor Eric Adams has decided to run as an independent in his reelection bid for NYC mayor, ditching the Democratic Party primary.
Speaking with Politico, Adams said that he would "mount a real independent campaign" and would gain support from "a solid base of people" located outside of Manhattan. His campaign will also place an emphasis on ethnic minority communities that helped get him into office four years ago.
He said that the federal corruption case, which was dismissed on Wednesday, had "handcuffed" him, but he promised to be "uninhibited" out on the campaign trail. "I have been this racehorse that has been held back. This is so unnatural for me," Adams said.
"I’m in the race to the end. I’m not running on the Democratic line. It’s just not realistic to turn around my numbers and to run a good campaign (from) where we are right now. It hurts like hell," Adams said.
His campaign faces challenges in a city that typically picks Democrats, including persuading them to select a politically unaffiliated incumbent who currently has a 20 percent approval rating. Adams will also have to defend his record of criticizing his own party on topics such as immigration, often siding with President Donald Trump on the issue.
Running as an independent could allow Adams additional time to recover from the reputational fallout he had after a corruption case was brought against him by the Biden administration, Politico reported. By opting out of the primary process, he would avoid a possible defeat in going up against other Democrats vying for the position, including former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Adams said he would "go to court if need be and fight for our matching funds," which are controlled by the city’s Campaign Finance Board, after he was denied over $4 million in public matching funds.
Adams believes the move to run as an independent will allow him to lean into his life story as a former police captain and political enigma that does not neatly fit into a party. "My life story is what is my most potent weapon."
"Now I need this runway until November to redefine and remind people: This is why you elected me in the first place." Adams has seven months to reach voters and is counting a Democrat winning the mayoral primary by a small margin due to ranked-choice voting, the outlet reported.
