Allies of socialist Zohran Mamdani form super PAC to support his mayoral bid

Yahoo

07-03-2025

Allies of socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani have launched a super PAC in his support, according to state Board of Elections filings.
The PAC, called New Yorkers for Lower Costs, was formed Tuesday for the purpose of supporting Mamdani with ads and other materials ahead of June's Democratic mayoral primary, the filings show. There are no records it has spent or received any money yet, and it's unclear who exactly is running the PAC, though the Daily News was able to confirm its incorporation paperwork was filed by Regina Monge, a progressive political consultant based in Washington, D.C.
Mamdani is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, which has long been critical of the involvement of super PACs in the electoral process since they have no spending limits and serve as a way for rich donors to flood local races with cash. The candidate earned the left-wing group's endorsement earlier this year.
'I thought DSA was against dark money,' a New York political operative who has worked on various local campaigns told the Daily News after being informed of the new pro-Mamdani PAC. 'This is interesting. I guess if you can't beat them, join them?'
But a source on Mamdani's team said the PAC is a positive sign for the campaign, showing that those in the political sphere believe in Mamdani and see him as a powerful and viable candidate.
Mamdani's mayoral bid has gained traction over the past few months with snazzy social media content and strong left-of-center policy takes. He has campaigned on a promise to freeze rents for rent-stabilized tenants in the city, make city buses free and provide free universal childcare.
He has raised more than $3.4 million with public matching funds since his campaign announcement in October — much of that money coming in the form of small-dollar donations, which his team has touted as signs of strong grassroots support.
The Queens assemblymember came in third in a recent Quinnipiac University poll, netting 8% of the vote to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo's 31% and Mayor Adams' 11%.
Monge, the consultant who filed the paperwork for the new Mamdani-boosting PAC, has a history of working for lefty political organizations and politicians.
The Justice Democrats, a political action committee formed by ex-Bernie Sanders staffers that was instrumental in electing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other progressive members of 'The Squad,' paid Monge nearly $47,000 during the 2024 election cycle for 'fundraising consulting,' records show. More recently, on Jan. 28, the campaign for Jessica Cisneros, a progressive congressional candidate in Texas, paid Monge $3,000 for consulting.
Monge didn't return a request for comment, and a Mamdani representative declined to comment on the PAC's formation.
Independent expenditures like the new Mamdani PAC aren't allowed by law to coordinate with declared candidates they're supporting.
Super PACs can be a powerful force in mayoral races — offering an avenue for millionaires and billionaires to pour funds into campaign mailers and political ads in support of their preferred candidates.
So far, the only other super PAC that's been filed in the race is in support of Cuomo.