Former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and Queens progressive state legislator Zohran Mamdani will announce strong fundraisers on Monday in the New York City mayoral campaign as they urge unsatisfied mayor Eric Adams.
His campaign said Mr. Mamdani has raised more than $840,000 in the past two months and has more than 16,000 donors. It was a surprisingly good performance for a candidate, and until recently, the New Yorkers were well-known, but he has attracted attention for his use of social media and voice opposition to the Trump administration.
Mr Mandani said in an interview that his campaign had momentum because he focused on addressing the high cost of living in the city.
“We have already started a campaign to speak directly to the working class and I think that resonates with it,” he said.
Monday's campaign fundraising deadline will provide snapshots of the game about 100 days before the Democratic primary in June. Mr. Adams ran for the second semester while facing record low approval ratings.
His campaign said Mr. Cuomo, who led the poll, raised $1.5 million from more than 2,800 donors in 13 days. He hopes to receive public matching funds after raising $330,000 in eligible funds from 1,700 donors living in the city.
His donors include former U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman, Manhattan, who was fired by President Trump in 2020. Mr. Cuomo's ex-wife Kerry Kennedy; recipe author and wife Jessica Seinfeld by comedian Jerry Seinfeld.
“I’m humbled by the depth and breadth of support we’ve received after participating in this game,” Cuomo said in a statement. “New York is the greatest city in the world and those who live here deserve a better, stronger, stronger, safer, more affordable New York than the ones you have today.”
Two other major Democrats announced their total fundraising on Sunday. The city's auditor-general Brad Lander raised $225,000 during the latest submissions from January to March.
“These results show that New Yorkers are eager to end the endless scandal and corrupt Adams-Cuomo's nightmare and replace it with strong, honest leadership,” he said in a statement.
City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams announced her campaign on March 5, raising $128,000 in five days. Her campaign said she hasn't reached the threshold of the city's generous public matching funding program, which donates $8 per dollar per person, for $250 per person.
Ms. Adams, who had nothing to do with the mayor, visited Bethany Baptist Church in Brooklyn on Sunday and told reporters she would catch up with the fundraising event. She said Mr. Cuomo was rated very well, even though he might have been leading the polls.
She told the congregation that New Yorkers were “tired of drama” and “tired of trauma”, which was clearly a reference to Mr. Adams’ legal and political trouble. Ms. Adams said she had received a call from relatives in the country asking what was going on in New York.
“We don't have to continue to be an awkward city,” she said.
Several sports are already eligible for public matching funds, including those of Mr Rand and Mr Mandani. Candidates must raise at least $250,000 and receive donations from at least 1,000 donors living in the city.
Mr. Adams, facing federal corruption charges, was stripped of public matching funds in December. The city's campaign finance committee ruled that he was not eligible for the actions outlined in the indictment, a decision that prevented him from obtaining up to $4.3 million.
Some of the mayor's long-term allies recognized Mr. Cuomo. Mr. Adams has not yet begun a serious campaign, although he insists on running for reelection.
Mr. Cuomo resigned after a sexual harassment scandal in 2021 and he believes he is the most experienced candidate and the one who can do his job. He denied the harassment allegations and challenged his accuser in court.
Mr Mamdani has released plans to freeze rents and free buses, and he has risen in the polls. A recent poll by Quinnipiac University shows that he is second only to Mr. Cuomo and Mr. Adams.
Last week, President Trump's border tsar Tom Homan faced a video of Tom Homan in Albany. His campaign said he raised nearly $250,000 around the day after the video was released.
Another social media post by Mr Mamdani was widely colluded for violating subway etiquette. One photo shows the candidate putting a side of a large burrito and salsa on a subway seat one night while holding a fork and knife.
But Muslim Mr. Mandani strode forward and laughs, saying the photo reflects his busy campaign schedule during Ramadan.
He said the photo expresses “fasting during the campaign and not always having a fast place, except for the train you go from one event to the next.”
Sean Piccoli Contribution report.
