As expected, Andrew Cuomo is raising large sums of money for his mayoral campaign, according to the first glimpse at his fundraising — but so are several of his progressive rivals.
The former governor raised $1.5 million in 13 days after entering the mayor’s race on March 1, according to numbers shared by his campaign on Monday — a total that would grow to $4.1 million under the city’s matching funds program. That total easily eclipses any of the other recent hauls announced so far by the nine other Democratic primary candidates, who on Monday must report their fundraising totals between Jan. 12 and March 13.
“I’ve been humbled by the depth and breadth of the outpouring of support we’ve received upon entering this race,” Cuomo said in a statement. His filing will show donations from Geoffrey Berman, the former U.S. Attorney in Manhattan who was fired by Donald Trump; Nathaniel Fields, CEO of the shelter provider Urban Resource Institute; and Cuomo’s ex-wife, Kerry Kennedy, according to spokesman Rich Azzopardi.
But other contenders are showing strength — namely Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist Assemblyman from Queens, who raised an impressive $845,000. The charismatic 33-year-old has generated excitement among younger, progressive voters, and could redeem some $4 million in additional matching funds with his latest haul, his campaign said.
Comptroller Brad Lander said his campaign raised $228,000, which, with matching funds, would bring his total war chest to $6.7 million — putting him close to the maximum $8 million that mayoral candidates are allowed to spend before the June 24 primary election.
With Cuomo maintaining a wide lead in early polls, the remaining candidates have tried to position themselves as best suited to take him on. Mamdani’s campaign asserted that his strong fundraising — which has come from 16,000 different donors — solidifies his status as Cuomo’s most formidable foe, but the lawmaker’s progressive stances on policing and vocal advocacy for Palestine could pose challenges in a citywide primary.
As for other candidates, Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said she raised $128,000 in five days after announcing her own campaign this month — a solid amount that is nonetheless well short of the minimum $250,000 she needs to qualify for the next payout of matching funds on April 15. The speaker’s fundraising has been closely watched as a sign of the viability of her late-in-the-game campaign, but she must now wait until late May to receive any money from the city’s 8-to-1 matching system for small-dollar donations.
Former Comptroller Scott Stringer raised $187,000 in the latest period, which should bring his total to more than $5 million; and state Sen. Zellnor Myrie of Brooklyn reported raising $136,000, expected to bring his total to $3.8 million. State Sen. Jessica Ramos, former Assemblyman Michael Blake and financier Whitney Tilson did not immediately announce their fundraising totals Monday morning.
Also silent was Mayor Eric Adams, whose minimal campaign infrastructure has raised questions about the seriousness of his re-election bid.
Unlike most of the other candidates, Cuomo will not be relying solely on his own campaign account to boost his candidacy. A separate state-level super PAC, unbidden by city spending caps, has been formed by Cuomo’s allies with the goal of spending $15 million on his campaign. It has so far raised $285,000, according to public disclosures, including $50,000 from Home Depot executive Ken Langone, $100,000 from the investment firm Lightstone Real Estate Partners, and $100,000 from attorney Lucy Fato.
Allies of Mamdani’s have formed a PAC as well, but the entity has not reported any donations so far.
The latest disclosures show the power of the city’s matching funds program, which can infuse most serious citywide campaigns with seven-figure war chests. That, combined with the advent of ranked-choice voting, has helped swell this year’s mayoral field to 10 Democratic candidates, more than any election in recent history.
