He’s gone from swagger to stagger.
Embattled Mayor Eric Adams is mulling working as an unbiased if he loses the upcoming Democratic major — and that’s even when he decides to make a re-election bid as he faces more and more hopeless electoral prospects, The Put up has discovered.
Hizzoner has been largely absent from the race, and even bailed on a current high-profile discussion board together with his challengers — with roughly 100 days till the June 24 major.
Supply near the mayor mentioned he’s unlikely to marketing campaign whereas his federal corruption case arms over his head — as Choose Dale Ho continues to weigh whether or not to agree with President Trump’s Division of Justice to drop the fees.
Adams has loads of floor to cowl — his ballot numbers are abysmal in opposition to crowded subject of challengers, together with the formidable former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
He additionally has a mountain of debt to take care of, as he owes his protection legal professionals greater than $700,000.
“He has a call to make,” a supply mentioned about Adams if and when the prison case is dismissed. “He owes lots of people some huge cash.”
Adams’ diminished present political stature contrasts wildly with the assured candidate who handily received 2021’s mayoral election after a prolific, energetic marketing campaign.
He then rode into Gracie Mansion with a promise to carry “swagger” to the Large Apple after eight years of bumbling Invoice de Blasio.
“When a mayor has swagger, town has swagger,” he boasted simply days into workplace.
However swagger solely carried Adams thus far, particularly as his mayoralty turned more and more scandal-plagued.
The mayor’s fortunes fell because the feds investigated him and the longtime cronies he put in in his administration — after which collapsed in September as he turned the primary sitting New York Metropolis mayor to face a federal indictment.
Adams vigorously denied the corruption accusations and more and more cozied as much as Trump, with rumors swirling that he was looking for a pardon.
The dismissal transfer from up prime on the DOJ finally got here to go in February, as Appearing Deputy Lawyer Normal Emil Bove ordered Manhattan federal prosecutors to drop the case, albeit with the potential of bringing it again after the 2025 mayoral election.
Bove argued the case was politically motivated and interfered with each Adams’ capacity to marketing campaign and to assist with Trump’s immigration crackdown.
However Bove’s assertions fueled accusations that Adams’ case was dropped as a part of an improper “quid professional quo” that left him beholden to Trump, quite than New York Metropolis voters.
The following political firestorm sparked requires Adams to resign or to be eliminated by Gov. Kathy Hochul. It additionally prompted Adams’ re-election marketing campaign to be placed on pause — creating openings for Cuomo and Council Speaker Adrienne Adams to run for mayor and lower into his assist.
Adams’ inside circle blames the mayor’s present state of political limbo on Bove’s sloppy dismissal.
“He may have simply cited some statute and the choose would have rubber-stamped it,” one supply mentioned.
As Adams awaits a call from federal Choose Dale Ho on whether or not to just accept the dismissal, he has prevented making marketing campaign occasions, reminiscent of when he abruptly bailed on a high-profile discussion board together with his Democratic major challengers.
His motive: his lawyer suggested him to not take part.
“He must be accomplished with the authorized stuff first,” one insider mentioned. “As soon as that’s gone he can go full monty attacking Cuomo, as a result of he is aware of he’s not going to jail.”
However till then, Adams’ marketing campaign is virtually nonexistent.
His marketing campaign has seemingly no employees, together with his former spokesman Evan Thies nonetheless not on the books and longtime public relations guru Todd Shapiro now volunteering to assist.
The mayor solely just lately launched his 2025 marketing campaign web site — a single web page that emphasizes he’s a “Democrat” and hyperlinks to his previous 2021 election social media accounts.
These accounts have largely been dormant since that election. His “ericadamsfornyc” Instagram account – which most just lately posted in 2023 – nonetheless identifies him because the “subsequent Mayor of New York Metropolis” and consists of “he/him” pronouns within the profile.
Adams has raised $4.3 million for his marketing campaign, with $3.1 million out there on-hand, data present. However he has been denied profitable public matching funds and different candidates have been elevating more cash.
He additionally owes his protection legal professionals a tidy sum — $730,000, as of January — which he can’t increase with out campaigning.
“At this stage, his path to victory seems extraordinarily slender,” mentioned Spencer Kimball, director of Emerson Faculty Polling.
One of many few members remaining of Adams’ inside circle supply mentioned they weren’t certain the place the mayor’s thoughts is at concerning his future.
“I truthfully don’t know what’s going to occur,” the supply mentioned.
Former Gov. David Paterson, who noticed his 2010 election prospects fade amid scandals, mentioned Adams — if his case is certainly dismissed — has to take care of attempting to run New York Metropolis whereas making up floor in a marketing campaign.
He famous all of the Democrats mayoral candidates however Cuomo are working to Adams’ left.
“Ought to have labored to his favor if he had not gone via this hell,” he mentioned.
Adams had briefly appeared into working as a Republican, however now could be contemplating an unbiased run if he can’t pull forward within the major, sources mentioned.
Kimball, the Emerson pollster, mentioned both a Democratic or an unbiased run can be a tall order for Adams.
“Mayor Adams faces a big problem on this race, notably in a ranked-choice system the place his excessive unfavorable numbers—59% amongst Democrats in our newest ballot—make it troublesome for him to consolidate broad assist to win majority assist,” he mentioned.
“In distinction, former Governor Andrew Cuomo, with a 55% favorable and 31% unfavorable score amongst Democrats, is in a stronger place to choose up second-choice votes.”
Mary Snow, assistant director of Quinnipiac College Ballot, was much more blunt.
“Whereas it’s unimaginable to foretell the end result of the NYC mayor’s race, in the intervening time, Mayor Adams faces a troublesome street to reelection,” she mentioned.
