Independent candidate Jim Walden has officially suspended his bid for New York City mayor, citing his inability to gain momentum amid a crowded field and his unwillingness to continue “spending public money on futile hope.” He warned that unless the race narrows to a head-to-head contest, a “Trojan Horse” would seize control of City Hall.
Walden, a former federal prosecutor turned technocratic candidate, had positioned himself as a centrist free-market reformer, but struggled in the polls, drawing just around 3 percent. He raised approximately $1.1 million in private funds and received over $2.3 million in public matching funds—of which roughly $1.24 million remains and must now be returned.
In his statement, Walden urged other trailing candidates—names like Andrew Cuomo, Eric Adams, and Curtis Sliwa—to consolidate behind the strongest challenger to prevent Democratic Socialist nominee Zohran Mamdani from winning. He said. “For those still trailing in the polls by month’s end, I implore each to consider how history will judge them if they allow vanity or stubborn ambition to usher in Mr. Mamdani.”
Neither Cuomo nor Adams accepted the challenge, though both have encouraged the others’ exit.
Walden’s departure marks the first withdrawal from the general election field and signals mounting pressure on fellow challengers to unite ahead of the November election.
