The already chaotic New York City mayor’s race may soon get even messier.
Mayor Eric Adams has reportedly been offered a senior role at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development by President Donald Trump’s team, per Politico. According New York Times, which first reported the news, the move is widely seen as an attempt to persuade Adams to drop his reelection bid — and to blunt the momentum of Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, who shocked the establishment by winning June’s Democratic primary.
Adams, who maintains a cordial political relationship with Trump, did not deny meeting with administration officials during a recent Florida trip. While his campaign later insisted he has “not met with Donald Trump” and remains “fully committed” to running, the mayor stopped short of ruling out a potential role in Washington when pressed by reporters.
The behind-the-scenes maneuvering highlights the extent to which Trump allies, centrist Democrats and business leaders are willing to go to block Mamdani. Former Governor Andrew Cuomo, running as an independent, has emerged as their preferred candidate, though polls show him trailing badly. Advisers believe Cuomo could beat Mamdani in a one-on-one matchup if Adams and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa exit the race.
On Tuesday, lawyer Jim Walden, a fifth candidate in the race, suspended his campaign and urged his rivals to endorse a single Mamdani alternative. Even if Adams and Sliwa also suspend their campaigns, their names would likely remain on the ballot due to New York election law.
Getting there may be tricky. Sliwa has already dismissed the idea of joining the Trump administration, saying he has no interest in a federal job. And any perception that Cuomo is Trump’s handpicked candidate could prove toxic in heavily Democratic New York.
Mamdani, meanwhile, wasted no time seizing on the reports, declaring on X that “Cuomo is Trump’s choice for Mayor … New Yorkers are sick of corrupt politics and backroom deals.”
Adams’ position has been further complicated by his legal troubles. Federal prosecutors dropped corruption charges against him earlier this year, fueling speculation that his relationship with Trump could shape his political future, but the legal heat is still on former members of his administration, as top aides Ingrid Lewis-Martin and Jesse Hamilton were charged for accepting bribes. Adams insists he’s staying in the race for now, quipping that he has “more ribbons to cut” before his term ends.
But with Trump eager to reshape the nation’s biggest city and Cuomo desperate for an opening, the possibility of a federally brokered shake-up lingers over the fall campaign.
— Eric Weilbacher
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