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New York City Mayor Eric Adams pushed back against speculation on Friday that he would exit the mayoral race, declaring that he remains committed to winning reelection.
“I’m running, and I’m going to beat Mamdani,” Adams said during a press conference.
Elected as a Democrat in 2022, Adams is now running as an independent in a tough contest against the Democratic nominee, Zohran Mamdani, a Ugandan-born Muslim and socialist. Former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who lost to Mamdani in the Democratic primary in June, is also running as an independent.
Adams lashed out at both opponents, calling them “two spoiled brats running for mayor.”
“I want to be clear with you,” he added. “Andrew Cuomo is a snake and a liar. I am in this race and I’m the only one that can beat Mamdani.”
Emphasizing his working-class roots, Adams contrasted himself with his rivals: “They were born with silver spoons in their mouths. Not like working-class New Yorkers. I’m a working-class New Yorker. They are not like us. They’ve never had to fight. They never had to struggle. They never had to go through difficult times like you and I had to go through, New Yorkers.”
He further accused Cuomo of having “a career of pushing black candidates out of races.”
Addressing reports that he was in talks with President Donald Trump about joining his administration, Adams dismissed the rumors. “There’s a lot of reports that I’m in Washington on Monday, those reports are wrong. I’m not. I’ll be moving throughout this city in the five boroughs that made me mayor in the first place. I’m running for reelection, and I’m going to tell New Yorkers every day why I believe I should be the mayor of the city of New York in 2026.”
Adams acknowledged being behind Mamdani in the polls but brushed it off. “I hear the polls, I hear the comments, I hear the pundits. But those are the same polls that stated eight weeks out that Andrew Cuomo was up by 36 points, and even his poll had him up by ten points. Those are the same polls that said he was going to walk into becoming the mayor of the City of New York.”
Reaffirming his determination, Adams said, “I’m running, and I’m going to beat Mamdani, and I’m going to continue the success that this city has witnessed. I committed myself and dedicated myself to a city that I love, and I’m going to continue to do that. This polo shirt that I’m wearing that says Eric Adams, Mayor of the City of New York, I’m going to wear that for another four years.”
