Mayor Adams ended his longshot bid for reelection Sunday with a nine-minute video that included strains of Sinatra, a portrait of his mom, a litany of what he known as his administration’s successes, and blame directed on the media and marketing campaign finance officers.
And although he didn’t title any of the opposite candidates for his job as mayor of New York Metropolis, Adams took a veiled swipe at front-runner and democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani as he decried “extremism” and “political violence” — and made remarks that could possibly be interpreted as an almost-endorsement of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
“Extremism is growing in our politics. Our children are being radicalized to hate our city and our country. Political anger is turning into political violence. Too often, insidious forces use local government to advance divisive agendas with little regard for how it hurts everyday New Yorkers,” he stated.
“Major change is welcome and necessary, but beware of those who claim the answer is to destroy the very system we built together over generations. That is not change, that is chaos. Instead, I urge New Yorkers to choose leaders not by what they promised, but by what they have delivered.”
The video, posted on social media Sunday afternoon, begins with Adams strolling down a staircase because the acquainted refrain from Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” performs.
He locations a big {photograph} of his late mom, Dorothy Mae Adams-Streeter, to his left, smiles at her, then says, “Nearly four years ago, Gracie Mansion became my home. Who would have thought that a kid from South Jamaica, Queens, growing up with learning disabilities could one day become the mayor of the greatest city in the world? …. Only in America can a story like this be told.”
Adams’ announcement that he’s ending his reelection marketing campaign comes at simply earlier than the video’s four-minute mark, after he touts his administration’s successes in constructing housing and bringing crime numbers right down to file lows and touches on the federal corruption case in opposition to him.
“It’s not always easy to see the impact of good policy in just three years. I also know some remain unsure of me after the unfortunate events surrounding my federal case,” Adams says, referring to his indictment final yr on expenses he accepted bribes and unlawful marketing campaign contributions from Turkish nationals. The Division of Justice dropped the case after President Trump took workplace this yr and his administration intervened.
“I was wrongfully charged, because I fought for this city, and if I had to do it again, I would fight for New York again,” Adams stated. “And yet, despite all we’ve achieved, I cannot continue my reelection campaign. The constant media speculation about my future and the Campaign Finance Board’s decision to withhold millions of dollars have undermined my ability to raise the funds needed for a serious campaign.”
“I hope you will see that despite the headlines and innuendo, I always put you before me, always,” he added, itemizing his historic hires of the primary feminine NYPD police and FDNY commissioners and a number of other different first-of-their-kind appointments. “We built leadership that looks like New York. That mattered to me, because at my core, I am still Dorothy Adams’ son.”
Initially Printed: September 28, 2025 at 3:55 PM EDT
