On Thursday, Mayor Eric Adams launched his bid for a second term in office. 

“Not one more year, not two more years, not three more years, but four more years," he said. 

What You Need To Know

  • Mayor Eric Adams officially launched his reelection campaign on Thursday    

  • He held a rally on the steps of City Hall with dozens of faith and local leaders, members of the business community and even former officials to ask New Yorkers for four more years 

  • The mayor is running as an independent. He has yet to announce which ballot line — Safe & Affordable Party or End Antisemitism Party — he will run on for the November general election 

The mayor is running as an independent candidate after skipping the Democratic primary. 

“I told you in the beginning, this was going to be the most interesting political campaign in the history of this city. It didn’t stop on June 24, it started on June 24," he said.

Adams said his second term will continue to focus on making the city more affordable for working-class New Yorkers. 

“I didn’t come into office with a personal agenda. I came with a personal mission to fight for working-class New Yorkers. People who wake up at 5 a.m. and work double and triple jobs like my mother did," he said.

The mayor said he needs more time to finish work he has already done like bringing down shootings, increasing housing, investing in young people. 

At the rally, the mayor was joined by a handful of former elected officials like ex-Assemblywoman Inez Dickens and former City Councilmembers Robert Cornegy and Fernando Cabrera. 

Winnie Greco and ex-fundraiser Brianna Suggs were also in attendance. Both had their homes raided by federal officials amid a larger investigation into Adams 2021 campaign practices that led to his indictment on corruption charges. After President Donald Trump returned to the White House, federal prosecutors dropped the case.

The mayor used his kickoff event to take swipes at Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, who is the presumptive Democratic nominee. 

“This election is a choice between real progress and empty promises. A future for working people, not a fantasy state," he said. “Let me tell you something, this is not a city of socialism.” 

The mayor in the last two days has railed against Mamdani’s policy proposals. Mamdani has promised to provide free buses and free childcare by taxing wealthy New Yorkers. 

“There’s no dignity in giving you for free, there’s dignity in giving you a job. So that you can provide for your family and the opportunities you deserve," Adams said.

The mayor still hasn’t announced which third party ballot line — the End Antisemitism Party or the Safe & Affordable Party — he will take for the general election.