Democratic State Senator Tony Avella is dropping out of the race for mayor.
The Queens lawmaker has struggled financially, raising only about $35,000 for his campaign.
In contrast, Mayor Bill de Blasio has raised $3.7 million so far in his re-election bid.
In a statement issued Thursday morning, the Queens lawmaker acknowledged the money gap, saying, "I have found that staying in this race without being beholden to dark money is becoming increasingly difficult."
With Avella’s announcement, de Blasio faces a clear path to winning the Democratic primary this September with only former City Councilman Sal Albanese and criminal justice reformer Bob Gangi in the race.
On the Republican side, investor Paul Massey and State Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis are in the race.