Gov. Hochul, longtime pal Al Sharpton and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries were among the political figures who praised Mayor Adams’ mayoral tenure as he announced Sunday that he would be ending his re-election campaign.

“I’ve been proud to work with Mayor Adams to make New York City safer, stronger and more affordable,” Hochul said in a statement. “He leaves New York City better than he inherited it and that will always be central to his legacy as mayor.”

President Trump did not immediately comment on the mayor’s decision to drop out. But billionaire Bill Ackman, who has backed former governor Andrew Cuomo in the race, celebrated Adams’ decision on social media.

“Thank you [Eric Adams] for your service for our city and for stepping aside when the time was right!” Ackman wrote on X. “[Curtis Sliwa], you should follow Eric’s lead for the good of NYC.”

Trump, Ackman and others wanted Adams out of the race to increase Cuomo’s chances of defeating frontrunner Zohran Mamdani, who won the Democratic primary.

Because Mamdani is a democratic socialist, mainstream Democrats including Jeffries have hesitated to endorse him. Hochul endorsed him two weeks ago.

“I will publicly weigh in with respect to the remaining candidates in the mayor’s race well before the start of early voting,” Jeffries said. “It is clear that meaningful progress has been made in several important areas during the term of Mayor Adams. Thank you for your service to our City.”

Sliwa, who won the Republican primary, has refused to drop out of the race despite similar prodding. Even Trump dismissed his fellow Republican’s chances in the race, though Hudson Valley Rep. Mike Lawler, also a Republican, argued Sliwa was the best candidate.

“Eric Adams did the right thing for the city. It’s now time for others to do the same. We must defeat [Zohran Mamdani] in November,” Lawler wrote on X. “I’m proud to support [Curtis Sliwa] and encourage everyone to do so.”

https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/09/28/eric-adams-drop-out-mayor-race-reaction/