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Mayor Eric Adams slammed latecomer Democratic election rivals Adrienne Adams and Andrew Cuomo Thursday for running “shadow campaigns” capitalizing on his woes — while defiantly insisting he’s not going to drop out.
Hizzoner defended his own apparently largely nonexistent campaign during an unrelated press conference near Washington Square Park, arguing his rock-bottom poll numbers and continuing corruption case chaos don’t spell re-election doom.
“I’m not a quitter, I’m a New Yorker,” he said. “We never surrender, never give up. This game is so far from over.”
The defiant message came on the heels of Cuomo, the former governor, and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams both entering the already crowded Democratic primary race in the past week.
The mayor, who is of no relation to Adrienne Adams, accused the Council speaker and Cuomo of safely hiding in the shadows while he took hits on the front lines.
“They were running shadow campaigns,” he said. “They were not being scrutinized, they were not being questioned. You didn’t know what their positions were.”
Adams – whose job approval rating hit a record-low 20% for a New York City mayor in a recent poll – contended that Cuomo, the speaker and the other candidates are running on his agenda.
“Now everyone is trying to shift and know that my winning solution of turning around the city, from COVID to crime, to jobs to the economy — everyone is now sounding like Eric Adams,” he said.
Cuomo announced his long-rumored candidacy Saturday, casting himself as New York City’s savior.
He entered the race as the instant front runner — a stunning reversal of fortune from 2021, when he resigned in disgrace as governor amid a swirl of sexual harassment accusations. He has consistently denied the accusations.
Adrienne Adams officially entered the race Wednesday. She’ll hold a kick-off rally Saturday.
For his part, the mayor has shied away from campaigning as his criminal case drags out closer to the June primary.
Those close to Adams had hoped for a quick resolution with the new Trump administration, but the backlash over how Department of Justice officials handled the dismissal — especially allowing it to be brought back at any time — forced the judge to delay even considering tossing the case till mid-March.
Adams has defended his absence from the campaign trail, contending he’s now an incumbent and doesn’t need to raise his profile.
“I know how to overcome hurdles, I know it so well,” he said. “The worst thing I can do is surrender to a lie. And I will never do that.”
Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi said: “They know we New York is in crisis and Governor Cuomo has the experience and the expertise to help save it.”
The speaker’s campaign didn’t respond to a request for comment.
— Additional reporting by Amanda Woods
