NEW YORK: New York City Mayor Eric Adams insisted Wednesday that he isn’t dropping his reelection campaign after reports he had been approached about potentially taking a job with the federal government.
Trump administration intermediaries recently reached out to people close to Adams, a Democrat, to discuss whether he would be open to abandoning his reelection campaign to take a federal job, according to a person familiar with those conversations.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the private nature of those conversations.
It was unclear how far those talks progressed, but as media reports about them multiplied, Adams insisted in interviews and through a spokesperson that he had no intention of dropping out of the contest against Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa.
“Mayor Adams has not met with Donald Trump — don’t believe the noise. He is not dropping out of the race,” said his campaign spokesperson, Todd Shapiro.
After Mamdani romped in the Democratic primary, which Adams had skipped, some pundits suggested that the 33-year-old democratic socialist might be unbeatable in the general election unless either Cuomo or Adams dropped out.
During a series of television interviews where he had intended to talk about his efforts to fight crime in the city, Adams battled back against the idea that he might leave the race.
“If there’s any changes in this race, I will announce that,” Adams told Fox 5. “Right now, we’re moving straight ahead to do — No. 1, serve this city as we’re currently doing, doing a darn good job. And we’re looking forward to reelection.”
After spending Tuesday in Florida after his 65th birthday, Adams was asked whether he met with anyone from the Trump administration while there. The mayor would only say that he “met with several political figures,” including Miami’s Republican mayor.
“I met with several political figures in Florida,” he told PIX11, saying the trip was to “deal with some personal issues.”
Adams, in that interview, pushed back against questions about whether he would exit the contest but added: “I’ve never had a problem finding jobs as I transition.”
Later Wednesday, Adams reiterated at an unrelated news conference that he’s still running for reelection and didn’t go to Florida to “seek a job,” adding that he often receives job offers from boards, educational institutions and others who have been impressed with what he’s done with the city.
The White House did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment Wednesday night.
Mamdani held a news conference in Manhattan on Wednesday, calling the reports “an affront to democracy.”
“We know that this city will decide its own future. And we know that it is New Yorkers that we will turn to to make that decision in November, not the White House in Washington, D.C.,” he said.
Adams had previously quit the Democratic primary after he was charged in a federal corruption case. The Trump administration successfully moved to drop the case so the mayor could better assist with the president’s immigration agenda, which freed Adams up to run as an independent in the general election, but has not helped his image in the overwhelmingly Democratic city.
A spokesperson for Cuomo, who is now running as an independent candidate, did not immediately return a request for comment.