Mayor Adams backs out of campaign forum hosted by key NYC union

Mayor Eric Adams is no longer planning to participate in a Wednesday evening mayoral forum hosted by New York City's largest municipal union, a last-minute reversal that raises further questions about his ability to win a key labor endorsement as well as his re-election campaign's viability.

“Mayor Adams has informed us that he will no longer be able to participate in tonight’s forum at the advice of his legal counsel,” said District Council 37 spokesperson Thea Setterbo in a statement.

The mayor’s decision not to participate was first reported by Politico. Vito Pitta, a lawyer for Adams’ campaign, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The forum, which is slated to include six Democratic challengers, is expected to draw hundreds of union members. Many of Adams' challengers have already participated in several such events, but Wednesday’s forum was the first that Adams — who has faced calls to resign over federal corruption charges — had agreed to do in advance of the June primary.

DC 37 backed Adams in 2021, becoming one of several labor unions that supported his mayoral campaign.

But it is unclear whether Adams can retain labor support as he campaigns for a second term. His path to re-election has become increasingly difficult amid poor approval ratings and scrutiny over his relationship with President Donald Trump.

The crisis surrounding his mayoralty deepened this month after the U.S. Department of Justice ordered federal prosecutors to drop corruption charges against him, saying Adams needed to be freed up to help enforce Trump's immigration agenda. The move prompted accusations of a quid pro quo between DOJ officials and Adams, along with a wave of resignations of federal prosecutors and the mayor’s own top aides.

Adams has vigorously denied any wrongdoing and insisted that he plans to run for re-election, despite not yet having a robust public campaign apparatus.

“I must do what I do well during campaigns, talk to people and let them know,” Adams said Wednesday during an interview with “The Reset Show.”

“Let's be clear on this,” he added. “Out of everyone that's running, there's only one person that has won the mayoralty, and that's me.”