Zohran Mamdani's Spending Cap Request Rebuffed as Cuomo's Super PAC Sets Record for Mayoral Campaign Spending

Strategic Insights -

New York's Democratic primary for mayor seems to be a tale of two cities: one side dominated by money, and the other by energy. Zohran Mamdani, a Queens assemblyman and democratic socialist, has been rebuffed in his bid to raise his spending cap, but he continues to campaign with vigor. His opponent, former Governor Andrew Cuomo, has a significant spending advantage courtesy of Fix the City, a super PAC that has raised over $24 million. Mamdani, who has been critical of Cuomo's record, has been subjected to an expensive attack ad campaign by the super PAC. Despite the odds, Mamdani remains undeterred, his supporters energized by his grassroots campaign.

Key Takeaways:

  • Zohran Mamdani, a Queens assemblyman and democratic socialist, has been rebuffed in his bid to raise his spending cap to nearly $8 million for the Democratic primary.
  • Fix the City, a super PAC supporting former Governor Andrew Cuomo, has raised over $24 million, with much of it spent on attack ads against Mamdani.
  • The Campaign Finance Board has ruled that the spending cap per Mamdani's request would be against the rules, citing a 2021 mayoral primary when the cap was raised from $7.3 million to $10.3 million.
  • Fix the City, led by billionaire Michael R. Bloomberg, has already spent $16 million, with Bloomberg contributing over $8 million to the group.
  • Liz Benjamin, a spokeswoman for Fix the City, dismissed Mamdani's request as "campaign performance art."
  • The left has struggled to match the outside expenditures of groups like Fix the City, with a group led by David Hogg giving $300,000 to a Working Families Party super PAC supporting Mamdani.
  • The Campaign Finance Board will give out over $5 million in new public matching funds to eight Democratic candidates for mayor, including Michael Blake, who received his first payment of just over $2 million.
  • Blake plans to use the funds for new advertisements before the close of voting on Tuesday, aiming to focus on Black and Latino voters and give them an alternative to Cuomo.

Statistics:

  • Fix the City has raised over $24 million for the mayoral campaign.
  • The group has spent $16 million to date, with billionaire Michael R. Bloomberg contributing over $8 million.
  • Fix the City's spending is unprecedented in city elections, with the most money spent by a single super PAC in the 2021 mayoral race at about $6.5 million.
  • The total amount that super PACs spent on the mayoral campaign was about $32 million, according to Campaign Finance Board records.
  • The Campaign Finance Board will give out over $5 million in new public matching funds to eight Democratic candidates for mayor.

Sources:

  • "Zohran Mamdani's Spending Cap Request Rebuffed as Cuomo's Super PAC Sets Record for Mayoral Campaign Spending" by The New York Times (September 16, 2023)
  • Campaign Finance Board records (2021 mayoral primary)
  • Interviews with Tim Balk, Nicholas Fandos, and Emma G. Fitzsimmons.