Adams Opens Brooklyn Campaign Office as Re-Election Bid Faces Financial, Political Hurdles

By: Carl Schwartzbaum

Mayor Eric Adams marked a symbolic moment in his uphill re-election campaign Thursday afternoon, cutting the ribbon on a new campaign office in Brooklyn while vowing to defy expectations in a crowded and contentious November general election.

According to a report that appeared in The New York Post, dozens of supporters gathered outside the modest storefront in Old Mill Basin to witness the opening, which campaign officials said will be the first of several such offices across the five boroughs. The location — situated between a smoke shop and a Chinese restaurant on Avenue T near East 58th Street — was adorned with “Re-Elect Eric for Mayor” signs, a visual reminder of Adams’s bid to return to City Hall despite mounting political headwinds.

Addressing the crowd, Adams invoked his personal history as a Brooklyn native, emphasizing the borough’s formative influence on his career and political identity.

“Why Brooklyn?” the mayor asked rhetorically, as quoted by The New York Post. “Because Brooklyn is the place I was born … it was the place that shaped and made me.”

The event drew an array of attendees, including former aides, representatives from municipal unions, and members of Adams’s family — among them his brother Bernard Adams. Campaign staffers told The New York Post that the Brooklyn office’s opening is intended to serve as a launch point for renewed voter outreach, particularly in neighborhoods where Adams retains strong personal and political ties.

Thursday’s ribbon-cutting was the second high-profile event for Adams’s re-election push this week. On Tuesday, The New York Post reported, he received a show of support from a coalition of city faith leaders at an endorsement rally in front of City Hall. Several clergy members praised Adams’s leadership and took direct aim at Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee who currently leads in most public opinion polls.

However, the week also brought fresh challenges for the mayor’s campaign. On Wednesday, the city’s Campaign Finance Board (CFB) once again denied Adams access to the public matching funds program, which provides an 8-to-1 match on small-dollar contributions. According to The New York Post, the CFB’s decision stems from an ongoing investigation into Adams’s 2021 campaign, with the board citing alleged legal violations and a refusal by his current campaign to fully comply with document requests related to the probe.

The dispute between the mayor and the CFB has persisted since December, effectively depriving Adams of millions in potential funding as he seeks to mount a competitive citywide campaign.

The stakes are heightened by the current political landscape. Adams is running as an independent after declining to compete in the Democratic primary earlier this year. His decision positioned him against Mamdani, who emerged from the primary as the clear frontrunner, as well as former Governor Andrew Cuomo, another independent candidate, and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa.

Polling numbers obtained by The New York Post paint a stark picture for the mayor: Adams currently commands only about 7% of likely voters. The data suggest that much of his former support has migrated toward Cuomo, whose late entry into the race has altered the dynamics, and Mamdani, who has consolidated progressive and Democratic Party backing.

Despite the daunting figures, Adams appeared undeterred during Thursday’s event, framing his candidacy as an underdog effort similar to his first mayoral run.

“They counted us out in 2021,” he told the crowd, recalling his come-from-behind victory over Andrew Yang during the Democratic primary that year. “We were 13 points behind Andrew Yang, and they counted us out. They thought that we couldn’t win. But I knew something that no one else knew. I knew the people.”

As The New York Post has reported, Adams is positioning his campaign as a personal and political fight to reconnect with New Yorkers who share his vision for the city. His remarks Thursday sought to blend nostalgia for his Brooklyn upbringing with an appeal to voter trust earned during his first term.

The decision to open his first campaign office in Old Mill Basin underscores that strategy. While not traditionally a center of citywide political activity, the neighborhood is part of a broader effort by Adams’s team to engage voters in outer-borough communities who may feel overlooked in the city’s political discourse.

Still, the absence of matching funds poses a significant logistical challenge. The New York Post noted that without the CFB’s public financing, Adams will be heavily reliant on private donations to sustain a viable operation against opponents who can access substantial public resources.

The CFB’s investigation centers on allegations related to fundraising practices in the 2021 race, though no formal charges have been filed. Adams’s campaign has maintained that it has complied with all legal requirements and has criticized the board’s decision as politically motivated.

For now, the standoff has created a financial disadvantage that may complicate efforts to expand campaign infrastructure beyond the initial Brooklyn office.

Thursday’s event sought to counter that narrative by showcasing Adams’s enduring base of personal and institutional support. Union representatives in attendance praised the mayor’s record on labor issues, while family members offered a visible reminder of his Brooklyn roots.

Bernard Adams, who stood near his brother during the ribbon-cutting, echoed the mayor’s calls for unity and perseverance. “Brooklyn made us who we are,” he said, according to The New York Post. “We know how to fight, and we know how to win.”

In the coming weeks, Adams’s campaign plans to open additional offices across the five boroughs, with the goal of increasing volunteer engagement and visibility in diverse neighborhoods. Whether those efforts can translate into measurable gains in polling remains uncertain.

Political analysts quoted by The New York Post suggest that Adams’s path to re-election will require not only mobilizing his base but also persuading undecided voters who have grown skeptical amid recent controversies and declining approval ratings.

The endorsement from faith leaders earlier in the week was one step toward broadening that coalition. However, the mayor’s opponents — particularly Mamdani and Cuomo — are expected to continue pressing their advantage in fundraising and organization.

Adams’s re-election effort now hinges on his ability to navigate a series of interconnected challenges: limited campaign resources, unfavorable polling, and competition from high-profile rivals. Yet, as The New York Post report observed, Adams has built much of his political career on defying predictions, leveraging personal narrative and grassroots outreach to secure electoral wins against the odds.

Whether that formula can succeed in a general election where multiple candidates are competing for overlapping constituencies remains to be seen. For now, the mayor’s focus appears to be on reestablishing direct connections with voters in the borough that launched his political journey.

Standing in front of his new campaign headquarters on Thursday, Adams projected confidence in the face of the obstacles ahead. “We’ve been here before,” he said, according to The New York Post. “And every time, the people of this city have shown that when we stand together, we can surprise everybody.”