Eric Adams' abrupt exit from NYC mayoral race escalates clash between rivals: 'Record of disgrace'

Mamdani ramps up his Cuomo criticism as Adams suspends his reelection campaign

New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani criticized former Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday, framing the election as a two-person race for Gracie Mansion following Mayor Eric Adams dropping out.

Zohran Mamdani, the leading New York City mayoral candidate who has been branded as a "communist" by GOP critics, criticized former Gov. Andrew Cuomo's "record of disgrace" on Monday, framing a two-person race for Gracie Mansion on the heels of Mayor Eric Adams suspending his reelection campaign. 

The New York City Democratic mayoral nominee accused Cuomo, who is trailing Mamdani by 18 points among New York City registered voters in the latest Fox News survey, of planning to "clear the way" for President Donald Trump's agenda. 

"It's not just about who's on the ballot. It's about what's on the ballot, and what we still see on that ballot showcased by Andrew Cuomo is a record of broken promises, a record of disgrace," Mamdani told reporters. 

When reached for comment regarding Mamdani's criticism, Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi said Mamdani is "lying" once again and "owes the public an explanation as to why he broke the promise he made 18 days ago to apologize for calling the NYPD racist and a threat to public safety."

‘NEW YORK DESERVES BETTER’: MAMDANI REACTS TO ERIC ADAMS EXIT FROM MAYORAL RACE

New York City Democratic mayoral nominee (left) criticized former Gov. Cuomo (right) on the heels of Mayor Eric Adams suspending his reelection campaign.  (Getty Images)

"We are talking about someone whose life was upended because of Andrew Cuomo's decision to cut $65 million from the Advantage program," Mamdani said on Monday. "$65 million in a state budget of more than a $100 billion. Today, it's more than $252 billion to make that decision. The cruelty that is at the heart of that decision is what New Yorkers want to turn the page on."

ERIC ADAMS DROPS OUT OF NYC MAYORAL RACE AS MAMDANI GAINS GROUND

Less than 24 hours after Adams suspended his reelection campaign, Mamdani hosted a news conference with Kasha Phillips-Lewis, a New Yorker who said she was left homeless after Cuomo cut funding for the Advantage rental assistance program in 2011. 

"This is a moot issue that happened 14 years ago – when Mamdani was in college – amid a $10 billion shortfall and that funding has been replaced and increased many times over through other rental assistance programs," Cuomo's campaign explained in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

Azzopardi said Mamdani is hiding from his own, more recent, record, including his pledge to decriminalize prostitution, past plan to deploy social workers to respond to domestic violence calls instead of police officers and his past comments calling to "seize the means of production."

New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani spoke to supporters at a canvass launch event in Prospect Park on Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025.  (Deirdre Heavey/Fox News Digital)

Adams announced he was suspending his campaign in a video on Sunday, prompting the leading mayoral candidates to sharpen their political jabs against each other the next morning. 

While Republican nominee Sliwa has maintained that he is not dropping out of the race, Mamdani on Monday framed the election as a two-person race with Adams now in the rearview mirror. 

The latest Fox News survey among registered New York City voters found Mamdani leading with 45% support, Cuomo in second with 27%, Republican Party nominee Curtis Sliwa picking up 11% and Adams garnering 8%. 

Pressure had been mounting since Mamdani won the Democratic primary for Adams or Cuomo to drop out of the race to consolidate support against Mamdani. Even if all 8% of Adams' supporters voted for Cuomo this November, the former governor would still be trailing by at least 10 points, according to the Fox News survey. 

"Too often we think of homelessness as if it is natural, as if it is innate," Mamdani said. "It's a political choice, and this is one example of the choices that has been made time and time again by someone like Andrew Cuomo, thinking that they would never have to make a decision in Albany and then explain it to the people of New York City."

Mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo sits on stage during a Democratic mayoral forum at Medgar Evers College in New York City on April 23, 2025.  (REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado)

Mamdani said New Yorkers are "sick and tired" of Trump's agenda, arguing that Cuomo would be the "greatest thing that could happen" for Trump in New York City. 

The Democratic nominee, who handily defeated Cuomo in the primary, also elicited Adams' own words against the former governor. 

"Even hearing Eric Adams the way that he described Andrew Cuomo as a snake and a liar is something that I've heard from a number of New Yorkers in wanting to turn that page," Mamdani said. 

In a Truth Social post on Monday, Trump said that Mamdani "will prove to be one of the best things to ever happen to our great Republican Party."

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"He is going to have problems with Washington like no Mayor in the history of our once great City. Remember, he needs the money from me, as President, in order to fulfill all of his FAKE Communist promises. He won’t be getting any of it, so what’s the point of voting for him? This ideology has failed, always, for thousands of years. It will fail again, and that’s guaranteed!" Trump said. 

Mamdani dismissed the Truth Social post, telling reporters that Trump is "going through the stages of grief" regarding Mamdani's mayoral campaign. 

Deirdre Heavey is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.