Eric Adams, mayor of New York City, the most populous city in the United States, formally announced on Thursday he will run for reelection as an independent candidate, even though he remains a Democrat.

The mayor's campaign said Adams will have until the end of May to turn in the required 3,750 signatures. However, Adams will not compete in the June Democratic primary, citing the impact of a prolonged criminal case on his campaign. Instead, he plans to focus on the November general election, giving himself more time to reach voters.

Adams, 64, has served as New York City mayor since 2022 and is the city's second African American mayor. He previously served as a New York Police Department (NYPD) officer for over 20 years. In September 2024, federal prosecutors accused him of corruption, alleging that he had secretly profited by more than 100,000 U.S. dollars over a decade. He faced five criminal charges, including bribery, fraud, and soliciting contributions from foreign nationals.

Previously, shortly after taking office, he appointed his brother as a deputy commissioner in the NYPD, a move that drew accusations of nepotism.

Adams denied the allegations of these charges and argued that they hurt his campaign.

"The dismissal of the bogus case against me dragged on too long, making it impossible to mount a primary campaign while these false accusations were held over me," Adams said.

Just one day before Adams announced he was running again, a federal corruption case against him was permanently dismissed by a court in New York City on Wednesday.

Dale Ho, a judge from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, granted an earlier directive from the U.S. Department of Justice to dismiss the case but denied the motion to dismiss the indictment without prejudice. 

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