No longer defiant, Mayor Eric Adams says he'll drop out of race

""Despite all we've achieved, I cannot continue my re-election campaign," Adams said. "The constant media speculation about my future and the campaign finance board's decision to withhold millions of dollars have undermined my ability to raise the funds needed for a serious campaign.""

""Although this is the end of my re-election campaign, it is not the end of my public service. I will continue to fight for this city, as I have for 40 years since the day I joined the NYPD to make our streets safer and our systems fairer," he said."

"The final weeks of his bid for a potential second term as mayor of New York City were overshadowed by rumors of job offers and off-the-record conversations about how long to remain in the race. Widespread reporting suggested the Trump administration, among others, wanted Adams out in order to clear a better path for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo to defeat the mayor."

Eric Adams suspended his re-election campaign with five weeks to go until Election Day and will remain a one-term mayor, the first since David Dinkins. Allegations of bribery prompted the campaign finance board to withhold millions in public funds, undermining Adams’s ability to raise necessary campaign money. Adams cited media speculation about his future and financial constraints as reasons for ending the campaign. The final weeks were marked by rumors of job offers and off-the-record conversations, with reports suggesting the Trump administration and others favored a path for Andrew Cuomo. Adams pledged to continue public service and fight for the city.

Read at NBC New York