Mayor Eric Adams Faces Mounting Pressure Amid 20% Approval Rating and Ongoing Corruption Allegations

New York City Mayor Eric Adams is navigating a tumultuous political landscape, marked by historically low approval ratings and a series of corruption allegations involving his administration and close associates. The ongoing controversies have intensified calls for his resignation, even as he prepares for a re-election bid as an independent candidate.

The latest developments include the indictment of former chief advisor Ingrid Lewis-Martin in August 2025, accused of accepting over $75,000 in bribes. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg stated, "We allege that Ingrid Lewis-Martin engaged in classic bribery conspiracies that had a deep and wide-ranging impact on City government." Lewis-Martin, whom Mayor Adams has referred to as his "sister," has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

This follows Mayor Adams' own federal indictment in September 2024 on charges including bribery and campaign finance offenses, which was dismissed with prejudice in April 2025. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams had alleged that Adams "abused his position as this City’s highest elected official... to take bribes and solicit illegal campaign contributions." Despite the dismissal, the judge presiding over the case, Dale Ho, noted the Justice Department's request for dismissal "smacks of a bargain: dismissal of the Indictment in exchange for immigration policy concessions."

Public sentiment reflects the ongoing turmoil, with Adams' approval rating plummeting to just 20% by March 2025, according to Quinnipiac University polling. This marks the lowest approval rating in the poll's nearly 30-year history for a New York City mayor. A Marist College poll in October 2024 found that 70% of New Yorkers wanted Adams to resign.

The mayor's administration has seen a significant number of resignations and investigations, including those of Police Commissioner Edward Caban and Deputy Mayor Philip Banks III. More recently, former aide Winnie Greco was implicated in an incident where she allegedly attempted to give a reporter cash in a bag of potato chips, an act Adams called "wrong."

As the 2025 mayoral election approaches, Adams, running as an independent, faces strong competition from Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani and former Governor Andrew Cuomo, also running as a third-party candidate. The tweet by "Viral News NYC" asking "Should Eric Adams drop out or stay in the race?" encapsulates the widespread public and political debate surrounding his embattled tenure.