New York City's Mayor Eric Adams, who won as a Democrat in his first mayoral bid in 2021, launched his reelection campaign on Thursday as an independent, after the surprise victory of progressive candidate Zohran Mamdani in the Democratic primary earlier this week.

The incumbent will face Zohran Mamdani in an unusually competitive November general election.

New York Mayor Eric Adams set out Thursday to persuade skeptical voters to grant him a second term, hosting a kickoff event for his independent reelection bid after a corruption indictment, a controversial dismissal and a decision to drop out of a the Democratic primary.