A report published Friday revealed that over 50 signatures on New York Mayor Eric Adams’ petition to run as an independent candidate in November’s election appear fraudulent. According to Gothamist, investigators found 52 forged signatures—including three from deceased individuals—along with voters who said they were tricked into signing.
While the discovery likely won’t impact Adams’ campaign (which submitted nearly 50,000 signatures, far above the required 7,500), it adds controversy to a crowded race. The mayor faces Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, former Governor Andrew Cuomo, Republican Curtis Sliwa, and ex-prosecutor Jim Walden. Both Cuomo and Walden, like Adams, are running as independents.
The report noted that flaws in New York’s petition system may face scrutiny as candidates seek alternatives to the ranked-choice primary process. Typically, campaigns hire outside workers to gather signatures. In Adams’ case, irregularities were traced to at least nine workers who submitted over 5,000 signatures combined. One worker allegedly collected more than 700 signatures in a single day, with some appearing in “strikingly similar handwriting” from residents of the same building.
Adams’ campaign didn’t immediately comment but previously stated it expects hired firms to follow the law and would review the signatures. His attorney emphasized the mayor never instructed anyone to break rules and that the campaign would assess if corrective action is needed.
Election law expert Jerry Goldfeder noted that invalid signatures occasionally surface, with offenders sometimes facing prosecution.
The report follows Monday’s tragic shooting in midtown Manhattan, where a gunman killed four people, including an off-duty police officer. In response, Adams urged residents to seek mental health support if needed. Meanwhile, Democratic challenger Mamdani walked back past calls to “defund the police,” calling those views outdated.
“I’m not running to defund the police,” Mamdani said Wednesday. “I’m a candidate who learns and leads—that means growing and focusing on those who deserve attention.”
New York City’s mayoral election will be held on November 4.
