Eric Adams, the Democratic mayor of New York City, recently announced his intention to seek re-election. This time, though, he will be doing so as an independent candidate. This decision comes after a years-long litigation spree. Significantly, a federal judge threw out an indictment—brought by the same U.S.
Adams, who won his first election in 2021, was hit with a federal indictment in September on corruption charges. The charges were all dropped, largely because of when they were brought against them—their June primary mayoral election was just around the corner. The dismissal was significant, as it removed a potential obstacle to Adams’ ability to support President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, which had been a focal point of his administration.
Despite the dismissal of the indictment, Adams still faces intense scrutiny. A Republican-led congressional committee has referred him for prosecution, accusing him of lying during testimony about his administration’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis. The committee claims that Adams misrepresented his involvement in the review or drafting of a New York State Department of Health report.
Adams has firmly denied these allegations. He continues to insist that his administration responded transparently and responsibly to the pandemic. “This is nothing more than a meritless press release that was nonsense last year and is even more so now,” stated Rich Azzopardi, a spokesperson for Adams.
Meanwhile, Adams is already under legal siege and has been justifiably served allegations of sexual misconduct. These troubling and grave claims ultimately led him to resign from a string of public offices. For a guy with these obstacles, he’s still in the race actively pursuing the Democratic nomination for mayor—and running hard as an independent at the same time.
Whatever Adams’ ultimate success in becoming the first independent mayor, the implications of his move are profound. Second, taken in isolation, it echoes a smart play to expand his reach beyond the partisan base to those voters tired of combative party-driven politics. Yet it’s possible that his legal challenges might upstage his campaign moves.