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New York Times
16-07-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Adams Eclipses Mamdani in Recent Fund-Raising, as Cuomo Lags Behind
When Eric Adams appeared at a campaign fund-raiser in Florida earlier this month with people who are aligned with a Young Republicans group and President Trump, the event seemed incongruous for a sitting Democratic mayor of New York City. But this is no ordinary mayor's race. As Mr. Adams makes a long-shot re-election bid as an independent candidate in November, he has begun to expand his fund-raising network to try to compete with the Democratic nominee, Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani. The latest fund-raising period in the race suggests that the mayor still holds sway with some donors — even if they are outside the typical New York donor world. Of the $1.5 million that Mr. Adams raised during the most recent filing period, from June 10 to July 11, nearly half came from outside New York City. Eight donations arrived from Florida on the day of the fund-raiser, totaling $2,325. Mr. Mamdani also posted a strong fund-raising haul during that period. He raised $852,000, including $256,000 that is eligible for public matching funds, effectively boosting his total to $1.1 million, according to his campaign. And in a sign of his growing national stature, roughly 45 percent of his contributions came from outside New York State. He now has just over $2.6 million on hand. Former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, in contrast, raised just $64,000 during the recent fund-raising period, in part because he was not actively fund-raising while he mulled whether to continue his campaign as an independent in November. He has almost $1.2 million on hand, and, after releasing a video on Monday confirming his intention to run, is expected to now start focusing on raising money. 'We had not been fund-raising post-primary while we figured out our next steps,' said Rich Azzopardi, a spokesman for Mr. Cuomo. 'But that changes today.' Mr. Cuomo had been the favorite among a crowded field of candidates in the Democratic primary, but finished a distant second to Mr. Mamdani, who amplified a sharp focus on affordability with an enormous ground game and viral social media posts. The Mamdani campaign illustrated its social media savvy earlier this week, when it quickly replied to Mr. Cuomo's relaunch video on X with a link to a fund-raising page. The fund-raising pitch had received 175,000 more likes than the video as of Wednesday, and Mr. Mamdani's campaign said it received approximately $110,000 from roughly 2,400 donors in the 24 hours after the post went up. The $110,000 was the second-highest one-day donation total for Mr. Mamdani since the June 24 primary; the highest was on June 25. 'Adams and Cuomo have made it clear they are competing to be the champion of the billionaire class, and Donald Trump,' said Jeffrey Lerner, a spokesman for Mr. Mamdani. 'We saw how that worked out in the primary.' Mr. Adams faces significant challenges in the race. He is far behind Mr. Mamdani and Mr. Cuomo in polls. Federal prosecutors indicted him on five corruption counts last year, only to see the Trump Justice Department abandon the case. And even though the mayor now has almost $4.3 million on hand, he still faces an investigation from the New York City Campaign Finance Board, which has denied him valuable public matching funds over concerns about his campaign's protocols. The only other candidate to receive matching funds this week was Jim Walden, a lawyer who is running as an independent and has trailed in polls. He raised about $59,000 during the recent period and has roughly $1.3 million on hand. He qualified for public matching funds in April. Mr. Walden has described Mr. Mamdani's election as an existential threat to the city and has proposed that the other candidates take a poll in mid-September to determine who has the best chance to defeat him. The remaining candidates, he said, should drop out. Mr. Cuomo endorsed Mr. Walden's idea; Mr. Adams has scoffed at it, as has Curtis Sliwa, the Republican nominee. 'If the independents wants to play musical chairs, go ahead,' Mr. Sliwa said in an interview. Mr. Sliwa has raised $472,000 for his campaign, including $169,000 in the most recent period, and said that he was optimistic that he would qualify for public matching funds. He has just $93,000 on hand. Mr. Mamdani's greater challenge was to persuade many of the city's business and real estate leaders to support him, or at least to stop regarding him as a socialist threat to the city's economic well-being. He met with roughly 150 members of the Partnership for New York on Tuesday in a closed-door gathering that was often contentious and drifted to matters outside a mayor's purview, like the meaning of the word 'genocide.' A follow-up meeting with some of the city's tech leaders was scheduled for Wednesday. Earlier in the morning, Mr. Mamdani spoke to a private gathering of House Democrats at a restaurant in Washington. The breakfast conversation, organized by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who endorsed Mr. Mamdani in the primary, focused on Mr. Mamdani's campaign strategy, his messaging and how he won, according to lawmakers who attended. Many of those at the meeting were among their party's more left-leaning members. Representative Greg Casar of Texas, the chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said that Mr. Mamdani discussed how he was able to reach voters. Locked out of power and eager to win back the House, Democrats in Washington have been eager to find messages that will resonate with voters heading into the 2026 midterm elections. Mr. Adams is trying to send a different message. He has positioned himself as a hedge against Mr. Mamdani, and has met with some business and real estate leaders to strategize about how to defeat him. Some of that discomfort surrounding Mr. Mamdani materialized in Mr. Adams's campaign donations. Employees of nine real estate firms donated more than $263,000 to the mayor, comprising approximately 17 percent of his donations in the most recent period. Mr. Adams raised $70,000 from 67 employees of SL Green Realty Corporation, a real estate investment trust that is also the city's largest commercial landlord. Thirty-two employees of Newmark, another commercial real estate firm, donated almost $40,000. 'There's also a growing concern about what's at stake if we take a wrong turn,' Todd Shapiro, a spokesman for Mr. Adams's campaign, said. 'Voters are looking at the alternative and saying, 'We can't afford to go backwards.'' Michael Gold contributed reporting from Washington.
New York Post
07-06-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Ex-NY Young Republicans leader Gavin Wax gets nod for FCC spot
WASHINGTON — The former leader of New York's Young Republicans was endorsed Saturday by an outgoing member of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to fill his vacancy. FCC commissioner Nathan Simington told The Post in a phone interview Saturday that Gavin Wax, 31, 'would be a great' replacement and had been hearing 'buzz' about a potential nomination from President Trump. 'I don't want to get ahead of the president,' said Simington, who has served at the FCC since the Senate confirmed him as Trump's pick in December 2020, before adding: 'Trump has been very smart and creative with his picks in general. And he seems willing to look outside of, I guess, the establishment … or Beltway insiders.' 4 FCC commissioner Nathan Simington told The Post in a phone interview Saturday that Gavin Wax, 31, 'would be a great' replacement and had been hearing 'buzz' about a potential nomination from President Trump. AP Simington, who previously served as an associate at law firms like Mayer Brown as well as in a senior advisory role at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, is departing the FCC after his term expired last year and he stayed on in the intervening months as a holdover. Wax is currently serving under the Republican appointee as chief of staff and senior adviser at the FCC. If confirmed, he would be the youngest-ever FCC commissioner since 1945, when Democrat Charles Denny was confirmed at age 32. 'I came in as someone whose experience was primarily on the international trading side of wireless finance, and so I've been reading a lot of telecom reg[ulations],' he explained. 'Gavin and I have collaborated on a lot of writing, and I think the common thread of tying it together is a desire to take a fresh look at telecom.' 4 Simington is departing the FCC after his term expired last year and he stayed on in the intervening months as a holdover. AP 'Gavin has spent a lot of effort with me thinking through questions of 5G industrialization. … I would expect [him] to focus on what it means to get smart manufacturing up and running at high scale in the United States,' he added. The two co-authored an op-ed in the conservative Daily Caller last month calling for 'DOGE-style' reforms at the FCC to do away with 'outdated practices that burden consumers, broadcasters, and taxpayers alike.' Established as part of the Communications Act of 1934, the five-member FCC regulates TV, radio, internet, satellite and cable industries, approves licensing and auctions off the use of spectrum for services like 5G. 4 'I don't want to get ahead of the president,' said Simington. 'And he seems willing to look outside of, I guess, the establishment … or Beltway insiders.' AFP via Getty Images As for his work chairing the Young Republicans, Simington noted: 'The commission is an organization of 1,600 people. … I have to say when I got Gavin's resume, the line items about the sizes of the events that he had organized and put on … my response was, this guy can clearly do things that I would find very challenging.' Wax hosted the group's annual holiday gala in previous years. Trump was the keynote speaker for the event in 2023. The FCC currently has two Republican commissioners including Simington and two Democratic commissioners. 4 Wax hosted the group's annual holiday gala in previous years. Trump was the keynote speaker for the event in 2023. Kevin C. Downs Democratic Commissioner Geoffrey Starks announced that he was stepping down Friday, leaving another vacancy. Olivia Trusty was previously nominated as the third Republican to serve on the panel of commissioners and is in the process of being confirmed by the Senate. Chairman Brendan Carr, a Republican, has led a series of reforms at the agency since Trump returned to the White House, including targeting diversity practices at Verizon and hinting at broader changes to so-called 'Section 230' protections for big tech companies. The latter has been the subject of furious debate by Republicans due to the liability shield it provides the platforms, even as some Facebook admitted to taking advantage of the tool to censor Americans' views online during the COVID-19 pandemic. Neither the White House nor Wax immediately responded to requests for comment.
Fox News
05-06-2025
- Business
- Fox News
FCC Commissioner Simington expected to abruptly leave agency, potential replacement revealed
FIRST ON FOX: Federal Communications Commissioner, Nathan Simington, is leaving the agency, as revealed in an internal memo obtained by Fox News Digital. Gavin Wax, a 31-year-old New York native and outspoken political ally of President Donald Trump, is being floated as a likely replacement. He would be the youngest commissioner in U.S. history, and also the youngest presidential nominee ever confirmed by the Senate. "Gavin Wax is being seriously considered by the White House to fill the vacancy that will be left by Commissioner Simington's departure," a source close to the FCC told Fox News Digital. "He's seen as a strong conservative voice on tech and media policy, with close ties to key figures in both the policy and political arenas." Wax's relationship with the White House goes beyond his role at the agency, as he previously served as President of the New York Young Republican Club, which holds an annual holiday gala Trump has attended in person and virtually in previous years. The young Republican published an op-ed just last week touting the work of Vice President JD Vance and alluded to the goals the former Ohio senator would accomplish should he run for president after Trump's term ends. If selected, President Trump would nominate Wax, which would initiate the official senate confirmation process. Simington's term expired last year, but he was expected to remain as FCC Commissioner until the end of 2025. There are five commissioners that run the FCC. The most one party can have at the agency is three. With Simington out, Wax would replace the vacant GOP commissioner seat. The FCC is responsible for regulation and oversight of all media, television, broadcast, and radio in the country, as well as internet access and broadband, national emergency communications, spectrum management, and consumer protection. The agency was established as part of the Communications Act of 1934. Fox News Digital reached out to Simington and the White House, but did not receive responses. Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News Digital covering breaking news. Story tips can be sent to and on X @MizellPreston
Fox News
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Democrats need to 'stop trying to be cool,' warns columnist
Daily Beast senior columnist and author Matt K. Lewis called out the Democratic Party for its efforts to rebrand, arguing it needs to win back the American people with authenticity. In a Los Angeles Times opinion piece headlined, "Democrats, please stop trying to be cool," Lewis wrote about the party's efforts to refresh its image in the wake of its defeat to President Donald Trump in November. He warned, "manufactured cool is cringe — and gimmicks won't save a party that's forgotten how to be real." Lewis called out two Democratic leaders who seem to be pulling the ailing party's brand in opposite directions. "Rebranding advice is plentiful, if conflicting. James Carville thinks Democrats should just get out of the way and let Trump self-destruct (a strategy that might work for the midterms, but eventually a party has to stand for something)," the Daily Beast writer noted. "Meanwhile, David Hogg, the new vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, wants to spend millions purging the party's incumbent geriatrics — a bold move that could sabotage a promising election night." While Lewis credited Hogg's efforts to replace the party's older members for at least tapping into the zeitgeist, he argued it was a superficial change during a time of desperation, like when "divorced dads buy convertibles." The Daily Beast reporter argued that so-called "dark woke," a "fancy term for progressive politics dressed up in an edgy, confrontational style," is a similarly doomed effort. "Because yes, the Democratic brand is cooked. Worse: It's lame," Lewis added. But things were not always this way, he said, recalling the Democratic brand's glory days with former President Barack Obama, movie star George Clooney, and the party's overall "monopoly on cultural capital" in past years. "Democrats, amazingly, have become the hall monitors of American politics. And what do they have to show for taking on this responsibility?" Lewis asked, marveling at how times have changed. "Meanwhile, the GOP — formerly the domain of Dockers dads, pious prudes and Young Republicans — pulled off the unthinkable. They became the chaos agents. The punk rockers. The party of middle fingers. The reversal has been astonishing." Some Democrats, he argued, are making the changes the party needs, and it goes beyond skin-deep. "Talk like you mean it. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) does that. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) does too. Not because they're trying to be cool — but because they aren't. They show up, say what they believe, and don't fake it," Lewis said. "Do stuff that matters. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) just provided an example of that. Not exactly the hippest guy in the room — but he recently flew to El Salvador to meet with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the man wrongfully deported under Trump and detained in a Salvadoran prison." He added, "Van Hollen didn't just show up for the cameras. He showed up because it mattered (for Garcia and for anyone who cares about due process and the rule of law). And honestly? That's kind of cool." Having "authenticity, passion and substance," Lewis argued, are the keys to making the Democratic Party's brand cool again. "And if not? At least you're not the guy rapping about climate change through a TikTok filter while democracy collapses behind you," he concluded.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
North Dakota legislative committee advances resolution prompted by Holmberg case
Rep. Nico Rios, R-Williston, speaks in favor of a resolution that would make public officials mandatory reporters of child abuse at an April 3, 2025, hearing. (Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor) A House committee on Thursday advanced a resolution that advises the 2027 Legislature to make lawmakers mandatory reporters of child abuse. The proposal is sponsored by Rep. Nico Rios, R-Williston, and was drafted by the North Dakota Young Republicans. Rios said the organization is bringing the proposal, House Concurrent Resolution 3037, in light of news surrounding former Republican Sen. Ray Holmberg's prison sentence. A federal judge last week sentenced Holmberg to 10 years in prison after the former senator pleaded guilty to traveling abroad with the intent to have commercial sex with minors. Holmberg served in the state Legislature for more than four decades and held the powerful position of Senate Appropriations Committee chair. Democratic ND senator proposes doubling Ethics Commission budget, citing Holmberg case Rios said the Young Republicans were particularly struck by a sentencing memo filed by a federal prosecutor last month that alleged Holmberg had a pattern of exploiting boys and young men. Mark Friese, Holmberg's defense attorney, denied many of the allegations in the memo and said there's no evidence Holmberg had sex with minors. Rios said that he gets questions from constituents asking whether other public officials in state government knew about Holmberg's conduct but stayed quiet. 'That is why we need mandatory reporting, we should be held to a higher standard,' Rios told the House Political Subdivisions Committee on Thursday morning. Current mandatory reporters of child abuse include medical professionals, social workers, law enforcement and teachers, according to the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services website. The resolution also urges lawmakers to seek additional ways for the state to root out crimes against children by public officials, including by establishing new penalties. The North Dakota Young Republicans suggest that the Legislature consider studying the issue during the upcoming interim session. 'We believe this study can begin to answer the question so many in our state are asking: How did this happen, and more importantly, how can we prevent it from ever happening again?' Derek Turbide, national committeeman for the North Dakota Young Republicans, said in testimony in support of the proposal. The proposal originally contained verses from the Bible, which committee members voted to remove. Some lawmakers also expressed concerns that the resolution ignores systems the state already has in place to combat child exploitation and neglect. 'I would support the study to make legislators mandatory reporters, but I think the rest is unnecessary,' said Rep. Jonathan Warrey, R-Casselton. The committee gave the resolution a do-pass recommendation. The proposal is headed to the House floor for a vote. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
