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New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced he is leaving the Democratic party and will run for re-election as an independent candidate following the dismissal of his corruption case this week.
"I have always put New York’s people before politics and party—and I always will. I am running for mayor in the general election because our city needs independent leadership that understands working people," Adams wrote in a post on his X account before sharing a lengthy video message.
The mayor claimed his recently dismissed criminal case "dragged on too long" while the "false accusations were held over me," prohibiting him from campaigning for re-election.
Speculation over whether Adams would remain with the party grew as several serious challengers in the Democratic primary emerged, including former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Running as an independent candidate would allow Adams to skip directly to the November general election, allowing him more time to campaign after having faced the now-dismissed corruption case.
The decision will, however, distance Adams from New York City's heavily Democratic electorate and party organization, which could weaken his chances of re-election in what has already been a controversial tenure.
“I wanted to run in a Democratic primary but I have to be realistic,” Adams said during a forum held by Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network on Thursday (April 3) via the Associated Press. “I have to let New Yorkers know what I have done.”
Adams had already struggled to raise money prior to being denied access to millions of dollars in public matching funds for his campaign due to questions about gaps in recordkeeping amid his case, which was dismissed by a federal judge on Wednesday (April 2).