Eric Adams misses Harlem parade weekend as NYC mayoral race intensifies

New York City Mayor Eric Adams was conspicuously absent from weekend public events, fueling persistent chatter that he could abandon his bid for a second term as the city’s mayor. The incumbent skipped Saturday and Sunday appearances, including the African American Day Parade in Harlem, while his three opponents pressed ahead with campaigning as six weeks remain before the November election.

Adams resurfaced Monday for a blitz of morning-show appearances, attempting to downplay the weekend absence and to fend off questions about whether he would quit the race. "Well, you know, unlike the other candidates in the race, I have a day job," the mayor told Fox5, later adding that "next week, you’re going to ask me that question again. And you ask me again, you would ask me up until Election Day."

Observers noted that Adams, the city’s second Black mayor, has attended the African American Day Parade every year since taking office in 2022. Ken Frydman, a Democratic political operative, said, "Mayor Adams squanders the pulpit power of incumbency with only three months to go in his first term. Does the sitting, African American mayor, only the city’s second, have somewhere better to be than the African American Day parade? Looks like he’s thrown in the towel."

Campaign spokesman Todd Shapiro defended the weekend scheduling. Shapiro said Adams was "fully engaged" over the weekend, balancing his mayoral duties with vague "non-public fundraising and campaign activities." Adams has hosted dozens of Gracie Mansion receptions and drawn criticism for hosting more than 130 flag raisings as mayor, according to a review of his daily schedules.

Analysts note that Adams, the city’s second Black mayor, has been a frequent figure at Gracie Mansion and at flag-raising ceremonies; the scrutiny has intensified as the election has narrowed to a handful of candidates. The campaign’s messaging has emphasized duty and governance while opponents push on a broader slate of campaign events in the final weeks.

Mamdani rode a float in Sunday’s parade; Cuomo spent the weekend at religious services; Sliwa had events across all five boroughs, including a 5-mile run and two festivals. The competition’s pace contrasted with Adams’ weekend blackout. Adams ended his weekend by rescheduling an appearance on the Rev. Al Sharpton’s MSNBC show. "I was baffled by it," Sharpton said, while Adams later told Fox5 that he had already answered the staying-in question weeks ago.

Ross Wallenstein, a Democratic operative with Wall to Wall Communications, said Adams isn’t helping his case that he’s staying put. "If he’s dropping, this is the way to do it," Wallenstein said. "If the mayor has a winning strategy, we’d all be curious what it is because skipping events five weeks out from the general election doesn’t seem to be the way to do it."

With six weeks left before Election Day, Adams remains a fourth-place candidate in early polling among major contenders, according to several political observers familiar with private surveys. The dynamic has left insiders questioning whether the incumbent can reverse course in time to compete with Mamdani, Cuomo and Sliwa as the race moves into its final stretch.

The campaign cycle has framed the race around incumbency versus insurgent campaigning, with critics arguing Adams could have leveraged the pulpit of the city’s top office through a high-visibility weekend. Supporters emphasize governance and neutral stewardship, citing Adams’ record on public safety, housing and budget management even as the political clock winds down. Officials cautioned against drawing conclusions from a single weekend’s schedule, noting that campaign resources and calendars change rapidly in the closing weeks of a mayoral race.

Additional reporting by Carl Campanile.