New York City Mayor Eric Adams officially kicked off his re-election campaign on Thursday with a sharp critique of his likely Democratic challenger, Zohran Mamdani.
He said the 33-year-old is inexperienced and out of touch.
Standing before a crowd outside City Hall, Adams framed the race as a contest between "a candidate with a blue collar and one with a suit and a silver spoon," referencing Mamdani's background. Although elected as a Democrat in 2021, Adams is now running as an independent.
The 64-year-old is preparing to take on 33-year-old Mamdani, a self-proclaimed socialist, who pulled off a stunning upset in the Democratic primary earlier this week by defeating former governor Andrew Cuomo. While the results are still pending official certification, Adams wasted no time launching attacks.
"They have a record of tweets. I have a record on these streets. A record of results. They talk about problems? I fix them. That’s the difference. You don’t lead this city from a soapbox," Adams said of Mamdani, accusing him of making unrealistic promises and offering "everything to everyone for free."
Mamdani’s victory sparked national reactions, including sharp criticism from President Donald Trump and his allies, who labeled the Queens assemblyman an extremist. Despite this, Mamdani remained focused on his campaign message.
“New Yorkers have been suffocated by a cost of living crisis and this mayor has taken almost every opportunity to exacerbate it, all while partnering with Donald Trump to tear our city apart,” Mamdani said on Thursday. He pledged to “end this era of corruption, incompetence and the betrayal of working class New Yorkers.”
Adams, who had faced multiple federal corruption investigations, saw the charges dropped after Trump assumed office in January. Critics, including Mamdani, have accused him of cooperating with the Trump administration, including allegedly allowing immigration raids in return for political favors — a claim Adams has not publicly addressed.
Current polls show Mamdani leading Adams and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa in the run-up to the November general election. Meanwhile, Andrew Cuomo has not ruled out an independent candidacy, which could further shake up the already contentious race.