New York City Mayor Eric Adams has announced he will seek re-election as an independent, opting out of the Democratic primary, and says he will be more “uninhibited” during his campaign this time.
In an interview with Politico on Monday, Adams expressed his desire to launch “a real independent campaign,” noting that federal bribery charges — which have since been dismissed — had previously “handcuffed him.”
Adams stated his commitment to the race, saying, “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.”
The decision follows a ruling by U.S. District Judge Dale E. Ho, who dismissed federal charges against Adams on Wednesday. The charges accused Adams of leveraging his position to receive luxury travel and illegal campaign contributions from Turkish foreign nationals.
Adams plans to gather the required 3,750 signatures by May 27 to secure his place on the ballot for November’s election. Reflecting on his campaign strategy, Adams remarked, “Now I need this runway until November to redefine and remind people: This is why you elected me in the first place.”
