Challengers to Mayor Eric Adams say they're raking in the cash for campaigns

Mayoral candidates challenging incumbent Eric Adams from opposite ends of the Democratic political spectrum — led by former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and state Assemb. Zohran Mamdani — continue to rake in cash for the upcoming mayoral primary, their campaigns said Monday.

Cuomo’s campaign said in a news release it raised about $1.5 million from 2,821 individual contributors in the 13 days since he entered the race March 1. Mamdani’s campaign said in a release it raised $845,000 since Jan. 11 from 11,000 contributors.

The first $250 of each qualifying donation from a New York City resident is matched with $8 in public money for every $1 contributed, which means candidates' hauls could rise by millions. The city’s Campaign Finance Board crunches contributor information and determines how much in matching funds is awarded.

For Cuomo, whose campaign has taken political positions more to the right, about $332,000 is eligible for matching funds, his campaign's release said. The number from Mamdani, whose positions lean more to the left, is $500,000, Mamdani's campaign's release said, meaning that unlike Cuomo, most of his haul came from small-dollar donors, and more of them.

Monday was the deadline for campaigns to submit fundraising totals and contributor details. The primary election is June 24.

Cuomo has been the consistent front-runner in the upcoming primary, according to publicly released opinion polls. Cuomo resigned the governorship in scandal in 2021, over allegations of sexual harassment and his handling of COVID-19 patients in nursing homes. He has denied wrongdoing. Of any candidate in the race, Cuomo has among the highest unfavorable traits as well, according to polls.

His allies have formed a super PAC to boost his candidacy — which can circumvent the city's campaign finance laws — and he can also transfer money from his state campaign account to use in city races, although such transfers are subject to stricter rules.

A Quinnipiac University poll earlier this month put Cuomo's support at 31%, with Adams at 11% and Mamdani at 8%.

Adams’ campaign hasn’t released his latest fundraising total. He has raised $4.3 million in total since the campaign began, according to the city’s Campaign Finance Board website. Although Adams has said he’s running for reelection, he hasn’t held any campaign events, has a bare-bones website, and won’t identify a campaign manager or spokesperson.

Speaking at City Hall, Adams cited his total haul but did not say how much he’s brought in during the last period.

"Everyone is catching up to me. I started raising early," he said.

Adrienne Adams, the City Council speaker and most recent entrant into the mayoral race, raised $128,000 — that's from 1,128 donors, including 875 city residents — since she declared her bid less than two weeks ago. That's not enough to qualify for the city’s matching funds program, which requires at least $250,000 from at least 1,000 qualifying donors. Adams isn't related to the mayor.

Other candidates have raised millions since declaring but in the low six-figures for the current period.

Scott Stringer, the former comptroller, raised $186,900 during the reporting period, with $103,000 in matchable funds; Brad Lander, the current comptroller, raised $227,800, with $130,300 matchable, according to releases from their campaigns.

State Sen. Zellnor Myrie raised $136,200 with $72,700 in matchable funds, according to his spokeswoman Olivia Lapeyrolerie.

By Matthew Chayes

matthew.chayes@newsday.comchayesmatthew

Matthew Chayes, a Newsday reporter since 2007, covers New York City.