Latest news with #anti-Mamdani
Newsweek
4 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Want To Stop Mamdani? It's Time To Get Serious
As of right now, Zohran Mamdani is the overwhelming favorite to be elected mayor of New York. Beyond his appeal to many New Yorkers on a variety of issues—most notably his extremely left-leaning policies intended to deal with the issue of affordability—in a race where three other candidates are poised to split the anti-Mamdani vote, his victory is all but assured. Many major interest groups in New York believe a Mamdani victory would be disastrous. It is almost impossible to find a business leader who thinks Mamdani would not be highly destructive to the interests of the city. Similarly, many Jewish leaders think that a city with the biggest Jewish population outside of Tel Aviv shouldn't have a mayor who still cannot disassociate himself completely from slogans supporting a "global intifada," especially during a time of rising antisemitic incidents. Moreover, hardly anyone who has expertise in law enforcement and crime reduction believes Mamdani is the best candidate to protect public safety—and for a large proportion of New Yorkers, that issue is right up there with affordability as a top concern. Unfortunately, incumbent mayor Eric Adams and former governor Andrew Cuomo, Mamdani's two major opponents, are both very flawed candidates. Many New Yorkers believe that Eric Adams' federal indictment, which was subsequently dropped by the Trump Justice Department, is indicative of a corrupt administration. Indeed, given the circumstances under which it was dropped, many now view Adams as being in the pocket of President Donald Trump. Of course, New Yorkers being overwhelmingly Democratic, many believe Trump's policies are antithetical to the city's well-being, and the president himself is extremely unpopular in his native city. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 11: New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani speaks during a press conference at the 1199SEIU headquarters on August 11, 2025 in New York City. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 11: New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani speaks during a press conference at the 1199SEIU headquarters on August 11, 2025 in New York City. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images Andrew Cuomo, having been forced to resign as governor amid a sexual harassment scandal, not to mention what many consider to be his very abrasive style, ran a horrendous primary campaign. I wrote a column recently suggesting Cuomo did not learn any lessons whatsoever from the failed Kamala Harris presidential campaign, making him absolutely guilty of political malpractice. While the Republican in the race, Curtis Sliwa, has virtually no chance of winning the election, based on previous mayoral elections it is clear a Republican candidate will syphon away 200,000-300,000 votes, which could make all the difference for anybody with a chance of challenging Mamdani. Under these circumstances, one might ask, how can Mamdani possibly lose? The answer is, under these circumstances he can't. So, if one believes that Mamdani's election would be an enormous setback for the city of New York, and many right-thinking people strongly believe that, why aren't these circumstances being changed? Underpinning the intensity of feeling that Mamdani would be a disastrous choice for the city is the impact of his election on national politics. There is no doubt that Trump and the Republican Party would point to Mamdani's election to make the case that an avowed socialist, far to the left of most Americans' political outlook, is what the Democratic Party fundamentally represents. Democrats would have a very difficult time distancing themselves from Mamdani as representative of what their party stands for. The recent fawning endorsement by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) certainly makes it appear that the most progressive members of the Democratic Party believe they should stand behind Mamdani. It is also likely that Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) will in some form endorse Mamdani. In that case, it will be impossible for Democrats to meaningfully distance themselves from Mamdani's most radical positions and policies. That perception will be extremely politically detrimental to the Democratic Party nationally. So, bad for the nation's largest city, bad for the Democratic Party, and bad for the nation overall given the importance of the Democrats mustering the ability to take back the House next year to counter Trump. If New York's mayoral race does not fundamentally change by Labor Day—meaning the anti-Mamdani candidates consolidating behind a single horse—Mamdani will undoubtedly be the next mayor of New York. So how do these circumstances on the ground change? Answer: with great difficulty. Mayor Adams, as the incumbent, contends that it is hubris for Cuomo to suggest he drop out of the race. Cuomo argues, with substantial polling data to back him up, that he is the only candidate who can beat Mamdani in a one-on-one contest. The fact is that polling clearly suggests both Cuomo and Adams are weak candidates—over 60 percent of voters indicate they would never vote for either. However, the polls do suggest in a one-on-one race there is some chance Cuomo could beat Mamdani, and clearly also suggest Adams could not. Among "likely" voters, both Adams and Cuomo lose to Mamdani. However, when it comes to registered voters, which is a much larger group, polls have shown Cuomo to be within the margin of error. However, Cuomo would have to expand voter turnout well beyond typical mayoral elections to really have a shot. Cuomo would also have to demonstrate to the public how detrimental a Mamdani win would be to New York City and the Democratic Party, and deliver a higher level of intensity and passion in his messaging. Moreover, he would need city leaders of all sectors and ethnicities to join the battle cry to get a record voter turnout. So here is a modest proposal. It may sound radical, but a drastic situation calls for drastic measures. Mayor Adams should aim for a future that leverages his expertise and sets him up for a much better outcome than a career-ending loss in this race. He should announce that instead of pursuing public office again, he will set up a consulting firm to provide counseling to cities around the country on how to better provide for public safety. Crime rates in New York City have dropped dramatically in recent years so Adams has insights based on a credible track record to offer. Cuomo has a substantial monied interest behind him, including many donors who care about keeping New York safe. As a show of unity, they should commit resources—even as much as $10 million—to help Adams bring his experience to cities across the nation. I think Sliwa is an easier case to handle. Sliwa siphoning off votes in this race will only lead to the election of a mayor who will undermine all the public safety concerns he has fought for his entire life. That should not be his personal legacy. Cuomo should offer him a position as deputy mayor in his administration—a much better result and a goal to rally Republicans behind. Getting Adams and Sliwa out of the race will not be enough. Cuomo, in deep contrast to his primary performance, will have to campaign his heart out, drive a completely different social media presence, demonstrate incredible sensitivity on the affordability issue especially as it relates to housing, showcase the difference between his law enforcement views and Mamdani's, and continue to rally the Jewish community in opposition to Mamdani's anti-Israel, if not antisemitic, views. I recognize clearing the path for Cuomo to take on Mamdani on a one-on-one race is a tall order. However, the future of New York City and the Democratic Party's midterm election prospects rest on it. Let's get serious. Time is running out. To those Cuomo backers with the money to execute this plan: you need to get going. Tom Rogers is executive chairman of Claigrid, Inc. (the cloud AI grid company), an editor-at-large for Newsweek, the founder of CNBC and a CNBC contributor. He also established MSNBC, is the former CEO of TiVo, a member of Keep Our Republic (an organization dedicated to preserving the nation's democracy). He is also a member of the American Bar Association Task Force on Democracy. The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ex-Gov. David Paterson endorses Mayor Adams for reelection, but doesn't call on Cuomo to quit
After supporting Andrew Cuomo's failed campaign in June's Democratic mayoral primary, ex-Gov. David Paterson endorsed Eric Adams' independent bid for reelection Wednesday, praising the incumbent as 'courageous and outspoken.' 'There have been some pitfalls, there have been some times when perhaps he would have done things a little differently, but the mark of an individual who really deserves the position that he wants to continue after Election Day this fall is that they recognize that and that they're able to make the necessary changes,' Paterson said, a reference to the legal and ethical controversies that have hung over Adams' first term. Still, Paterson wouldn't call on Cuomo — who's also running as an independent in November's mayoral election — to drop out of the race. 'I am not suggesting that a person that has raised a lot of money, has put his blood, sweat and tears into the race and wants to continue the race — I could not look that person in the eye and tell them to get out,' Paterson, appearing alongside Adams at City Hall, said when asked if Cuomo should step out of the race. Patterson held a press conference last month to urge New York's business and civic communities to coalesce behind one candidate in order to optimize the chances of beating Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, the favorite to win November's contest. Asked why he's now backing off his inital request, Paterson told the Daily News: 'None of the candidates seemed particularly interested, so I consider the issue to be moot.' Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi declined to comment. The biggest obstacle anti-Mamdani forces face is that Adams and Cuomo are likely to split the more moderate Democratic vote, potentially benefitting Mamdani, whose large progressive base carried him to victory in the primary. In addition to Cuomo, Adams and Mamdani, Republican mayoral nominee Curtis Sliwa and independent Jim Walden are also on November's ballot. Most polls of November's mayoral election are predicting Cuomo has the best shot at beating Mamdani. Adams, who's suffering historically low approval ratings as he continues to face political fallout from his corruption indictment, has placed fourth in several polls, behind Sliwa. Nonetheless, Paterson, who served as governor between 2008 and 2010, argued Adams is best suited to challenge Mamdani because of his 'scorecard.' 'You can keep a scorecard on what he gets done and what he hasn't gotten done, and the score card is incredible,' he said.
New York Post
11-08-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Andrew Cuomo is posing as the city's savior after years of dumping on NYC
Perhaps the most pathetic aspect of Andrew Cuomo's campaign for mayor are his vows to deliver for the city on things he couldn't (or wouldn't) in his decade-plus in the more powerful position of New York governor. He's suddenly calling for free bus and subway fares for lower-income New Yorkers, for example — when his heavy-handed mismanagement of the MTA led directly to the 2017 summer of hell. Not to mention how he looted the agency's funds for $5 million to bail out upstate ski resorts or the $100 million-plus he burned on decorative lighting and tiles on the city's bridges and in tunnels. Advertisement Nor how he rammed those congestion-pricing tolls through the Legislature. He also pushed an insane redo of Penn Station and messed up airport modernization. Meanwhile, Cuomo as gov proposed nothing to make the city more affordable or manageable, other than when he was blocking bad ideas from then-Mayor Bill de Blasio (and even that was more out of petty personal spite for Blas). Advertisement Recall, too, that Cuomo signed into law (and still defends!) the criminal-justice 'reforms' such as Raise the Age and the no-bail madness that drove up city crime starting in 2020. Heck, he lauded 'defund the police' as a legitimate movement. And his appointees to the state Parole Board are still springing cop-killers. Meanwhile, even where he had some virtues as governor, standing up for charters and opposing teacher-union excesses, he's now flipped to the other side. Advertisement Get opinions and commentary from our columnists Subscribe to our daily Post Opinion newsletter! Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters It's just laughable that he's posing as the best hope to save the city from far-left Zohran Mamdani: As gov, Cuomo routinely claimed he was everyone's only hope against crazy progressive policies — only to sell out on everything when the going got tough. Indeed, he gave Mamdani a huge boost by jumping into the Democratic mayoral primary — becoming the instant frontrunner on the basis of nothing but name recognition, but also a perfect foil the Democratic Socialist could use to vault to the top even as other rivals were starved for oxygen. Advertisement And having lost that race, Cuomo is still running as moderates' best hope and so splitting the anti-Mamdani vote simply to serve his own stubborn vanity. Indeed, the No. 1 reason to laugh at Andrew Cuomo's vows to fight for New York is his decades-long record of fighting only for himself.
Politico
05-08-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Cuomo and Adams won't get out of each other's way
With help from Amira McKee This town isn't big enough for Andrew Cuomo and Eric Adams. And the heavyweight bout between the two practically seals victory for democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani. The former governor and incumbent mayor are seeking out the same big-money donors and blue-collar voters. Potential endorsees are getting phone calls and texts from the candidates. Both men warn a Mamdani mayoralty would pose an existential crisis for the nation's largest (and deep blue) city. Then there's Republican Curtis Sliwa, who will draw support from voters concerned with crime, and vows he won't leave the race unless he's in a 'pine box.' 'You'd be hard pressed to find a collection of New Yorkers who are more stubborn than Andrew Cuomo, Eric Adams and Curtis Sliwa,' said Democratic strategist Trip Yang. 'The only shot that the anti-Mamdani forces have of stopping the Democratic nominee in a heavily Democratic city is to consolidate. The chances of that happening are slim to none.' Adams and Cuomo share an overlapping base of moderates, Black voters and Jewish New Yorkers. Both have a disdain for Mamdani's far-left politics, which they consider out of step with New York's pro-business sensibility. And both men have had their careers upended by scandal and controversy. (They deny any wrongdoing.) Institutional support, so far, has eluded them in the wake of Mamdani's shocking June Democratic primary win. Key labor unions, once Cuomo backers, have quickly endorsed the 33-year-old nominee's bid. Some local party leaders have also thrown their weight behind Mamdani, though prominent Democrats like Gov. Kathy Hochul remain on the sidelines. Wealthy donors have not coalesced behind either candidate in their independent bids. It adds up to a summer of uncertainty for the city's powerful and rich who fret that Mamdani's hard-left platform will badly damage a city still struggling to recover from Covid trauma. 'Right now the business class, when it comes to the mayoral election, they're sitting in stunned disbelief,' former Gov. David Paterson said in an interview. 'They can't recognize that this actually happened.' Cuomo is desperately trying to coax Adams from the race, backing a proposal that the field support the strongest possible Mamdani challenger by mid-September — a scenario that favors the ex-governor given his second-place showing in polls. He's also brushed aside his decisive loss in the closed party primary — insisting Mamdani won with the help of new voters and left-leaning New Yorkers and that the makeup of the November electorate will be far different. 'It shouldn't be a game of chicken, it shouldn't be random,' Cuomo said on CNBC last week. 'Whoever is the stronger candidate, put that candidate forward and the candidate who is not as strong should defer.' Adams, the city's second Black mayor, isn't budging. He's accused his rival of trying to muscle Black candidates out of campaigns. 'He has a history when it comes down to Black elected officials,' Adams said to podcaster Stephen A. Smith. 'I'm not calling him a racist. He has a problem against Black men.' Cuomo counters by noting many of the Black politicians he's challenged over the years, like former state Comptroller Carl McCall and Paterson, endorsed his primary campaign. 'Desperate people say desperate things,' Cuomo said in a separate interview with Smith. 'Forget the implication, it's factually wrong.' Read more about the independent-versus-independent feud by POLITICO's Nick Reisman. HAPPY TUESDAY: Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman. WHERE'S KATHY? In Saratoga County and Albany. WHERE'S ERIC? Schedule unavailable as of 10 p.m. Sunday. QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'Come talk about affordability for families. This is who Democrats fight for, and Zohran is on the front lines in that fight out there fighting for families.' — Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) boosting Democratic nominee for mayor Zohran Mamdani in New York City as the future of the party, POLITICO reports ABOVE THE FOLD HIS NEXT MISSION: CONGRESS: Democrats' best bet to flip a Long Island House seat that's been red for more than a decade looks great on paper. Chris Gallant is a Black Hawk pilot, Army veteran, national guardsman, former air traffic controller and union leader and volunteer firefighter. He's also a gay millennial, political newcomer and Long Island native. Now, Gallant is looking to prove he can turn that stellar resume into a competitive political campaign. He's kicking off a bid today to oust Rep. Nick LaLota and help the Democratic Party retake the House majority in 2026. His launch video features him riding a motorcycle and piloting a helicopter. 'My entire life's been kind of grounded in service,' Gallant said in an interview. 'I've always placed the mission first throughout all of my careers, and I'm doing the same now. This is what I want to do to make Washington and government work again for the people.' He's got a rocky road ahead. Gallant, 36, will face a two-term House Republican who defeated his last Democratic opponent by more than 10 points. LaLota and his predecessor, Lee Zeldin, now the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, have held eastern Long Island for Republicans since 2014. LaLota had a $1.7 million campaign war chest at the end of June, according to his most recent federal filing. And while Hudson Valley Rep. Mike Lawler's seat is ranked 'lean Republican' by Cook Political Report, LaLota's seat is not yet on the election handicapper's radar as competitive. The GOP incumbent, a Navy veteran, is confident about his reelection prospects, touting a big win on state and local tax deductions in the Republican megabill. 'Congressman LaLota has won three straight elections by double digits,' campaign spokesperson Mary O'Hara said in a statement. 'Now, with SALT quadrupled to deliver an average of $2,800 more to Long Island families and real border security, we're on track for an even bigger win in 2026.' Read more about the newest candidate in Democrats' push to retake the House majority by POLITICO's Emily Ngo. CITY HALL: THE LATEST MAMDANI HELD HIS FIRE: Mamdani is no fan of guns. He called for a nationwide ban on assault rifles after the mass shooting in Midtown last week, and posted on X in 2022: 'We need to ban all guns.' But back in 2021 he was one of only seven Democrats to vote against a bill meant to criminalize ghost guns which passed 106-43. That same day, he was one of just three Democrats to vote against a bill making it illegal to disguise a real gun as a toy. That bill passed 116-33. 'Zohran had concerns about language in those specific bills that went beyond gun control measures, and instead focused too heavily on increasing incarceration,' a Mamdani campaign spokesperson said, adding that 'he proudly voted to ban ghost guns the following year.' Sure enough, when a bill was passed in 2022 to clean up some language in the ghost gun bill making it clear that only licensed gunsmiths and firearm dealers were required to put a serial number on guns, Mamdani voted yes — making him the only Democrat to flip his vote from the year before. A Democrat involved in the negotiations on the original bill recalled that democratic socialists had raised concerns about the unintended consequences of creating new crimes. 'I think it's like the reflexive ideological position not to raise penalties. Even when you're talking about gun violence, I think there's a lot of concern — I think it's misplaced — that young kids of color are going to get swept up in a dragnet of criminal justice hysteria,' the Democrat, granted anonymity to discuss sensitive deliberations, told Playbook. Mamdani's campaign is eager to show he's strong on gun control, highlighting his plan to increase funding for programs meant to preempt gun violence under his Department of Community Safety. His campaign also shared his votes in favor of various other gun safety measures, noted he was named a Gun Sense Candidate by Moms Demand Action in the primary, touted his endorsement by gun control activist David Hogg and even shared a supportive quote from Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. 'Zohran's principles haven't changed, but his approach has evolved since he first got to Albany. The bottom line is this — I know he is serious about addressing gun violence and getting guns off our streets,' Heastie said in a statement. — Jeff Coltin GOOD NEWS FOR BALLY'S: It doesn't look like the City Council will override the mayor on a veto that could make way for a casino in the Bronx. Mayor Adams last week vetoed a council decision that had blocked a suite of land use changes sought by Bally's for its casino plans. The Bronx site is among eight contenders for three downstate casino licenses. The legislative body, which discussed the matter during a private conference meeting Monday, doesn't seem to have the appetite to take up the issue again, according to two people familiar with the conversation who were granted anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. — Janaki Chadha More from the city: — Long Island's Suffolk County offers tax breaks to city-based companies that relocate if Mamdani becomes mayor. (New York Post) — Surveillance tech could identify your walk. A City Council member wants that info protected. (Gothamist) — President Donald Trump's immigrant crackdown in New York has meant more arrests and longer detentions. (New York Times) NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY OH, CANADA (WE MISS YOU): It's the tariffs — but also the insults. Hochul held an event outside Buffalo on Monday where she said Trump's jabs and insults about making Canada the 51st state have hurt New York's upstate economy and had a real impact on Canadians' hearts — the country's premiers even told her themselves. 'They don't want to come anymore because they've been insulted, disrespected by the President of the United States,' Hochul said during the Monday press conference. 'I know this personally because I convened, with other Northeastern Governors, the premiers of all the Canadian provinces — I sat down with them.' Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer reported in June that 400,000 fewer Canadians crossed by land into New York during the month of May compared to 2024. The Canadian government also said in July that road trips overall into the U.S. dropped 33 percent in June when compared to the same period last year. 'What will it take to get things back on track?' Hochul recalled the Canadian leaders asking her in a private meeting. 'We love you. It wasn't us, it was him,' the governor said they told her. On Friday, Trump's executive order that raises the tariffs on many Canadian goods from 25 percent to 35 percent went into effect. Hochul said the tariffs — spelled T-A-X, she quipped — are increasing the cost of home building in Western New York and ravaging many small businesses that rely on tourism. One Buffalo childrens' museum that used to get 1,400 Canadian visitors a month now receives just 40, Hochul said. 'The hurt is deep when you insult them and their leaders, and say that you should be the 51st state,' Hochul said. — Jason Beeferman More from Albany: — Hochul is trying to drum up local opposition to federal spending cuts. (Spectrum News) — County officials are not embracing the use of artificial intelligence. (Spectrum News) — New Yorkers who were stuck in an expensive gym membership could get some cash. (Gothamist) KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION NADLER'S IN FOR 2026: Rep. Jerry Nadler is committed to running for reelection next year, his spokesperson told Playbook, amid a primary rival's calls for the veteran lawmaker to retire. Nadler, 78, has served in Congress longer than his new challenger Liam Elkind, 26, has been alive. And the dean of the New York delegation plans to run on his three decades of experience while Elkind is poised to campaign on the need for a Democratic changing of the guard. Elkind, a nonprofit leader, centered his campaign launch on turning the page on the gerontocracy in Washington. 'We need a new generation of leaders with the energy and urgency to fight Trump right now, and the vision to defeat Trumpism for good,' the newcomer said. Younger Democrats have been seeking office in bids to broaden the Democratic base, though with mixed results. The Nadler campaign's statement last week responding to Elkind's entry into the race noted the veteran lawmaker's past electoral victories, including his 2022 win over Carolyn Maloney, and long record in Congress, but did not explicitly declare his intention to seek an 18th term. 'The answer is yes,' campaign spokesperson Rob Gottheim said, when asked whether Nadler is indeed running again. — Emily Ngo More from Congress: — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) wrote a letter urging Trump to commute former Rep. George Santos' seven-year sentence for fraud. (POLITICO) — Schumer and House Minority Leader Jeffries sent a letter to Republican leaders demanding a 'Big Four' leadership meeting this week to discuss how to avoid a government shutdown. (The Hill) — Trump's executive order targeting 'crime and disorder on America's streets' drew Staten Island support from Rep. Nicoles Malliotakis. (Staten Island Advance) NEW YORK STATE OF MIND — The adult smoking rate in New York has fallen to under 10 percent. (Spectrum News) — New York's short-staffed prisons are going through a brutal summer. (NYS Focus) — An upstate mayor is suing her opponent over voter fraud allegations. (Post-Standard) SOCIAL DATA MEDIAWATCH – Francesca Tucker is now a booking producer for Newsmax, where she will be booking for 'Sunday Agenda,' 'Sunday Report' and 'Wake Up America Weekend.' She most recently was a booking producer for Scripps News. ENGAGED: Matt Potenza, VP of sales at Tenth Revolution Group, on Saturday proposed to Ashley Mocarski, principal at strategic communications and government affairs firm Forward Global and a Trump White House alum. The couple met in 2014 in college at St. Johns University. Pic … Another pic WELCOME TO THE WORLD: Lauren Dickey, senior manager for geopolitical intelligence at Harman, a non-resident senior associate at CSIS' China Power Project and a DOD alum, and Jesse Sloman, chief information security officer for the State University of New York and a DOD alum, on Friday welcomed Samantha Sloman. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: A.G. Sulzberger … Planned Parenthood's Alexis McGill Johnson … Assemblymember Alicia Hyndman … former New York City Council Member Darma Diaz ... Jordan Levine … Alicia Amling … Donte Donald … Lila Cohn … (WAS MONDAY): Michael Gelman ... Helen Lapkovsky ... Rabbi Eliyahu Ben Haim ... Ellen Schrecker Missed Monday's New York Playbook PM? We forgive you. Read it here.
NZ Herald
31-07-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
New York's business elite is tapping funding to try to thwart the Democratic nominee for mayor
A month after Mamdani's primary victory stunned New York's business elite, its leaders have begun cranking open a powerful gusher of outside spending to try to stop the man whose socialist policies they fear could sour the city's business climate. But with fewer than 100 days to go, they are still very much searching for a unified plan that could work. On Tuesday, the men whose companies run the Seagram Building and Hudson Yards joined the call for one anti-Mamdani super PAC, while leaders of a different super PAC invited donors to a US$1000-per-person fundraiser scheduled for today. 'Fighting Mamdani is expensive,' the organiser, Betsy McCaughey, a former Republican lieutenant governor, wrote on the invitation. 'But allowing him to win will cost you more.' All told, there are already at least five groups jockeying to claim a reservoir of potentially tens of millions of dollars — each with their own leaders and goals. Several more groups are said to be in various stages of formation, including a campaign to register and mobilise anti-Mamdani voters that is likely to be run by Lisa Blau, an investor married to the chief executive of Related Cos., the developer of Hudson Yards. Others involve Republican allies of United States President Donald Trump and a reality TV star who is a friend of Mayor Eric Adams. Corporate leaders — some of whom already contend that Mamdani's past support for defunding the police, which he has disavowed, could destabilise the city — may only find more motivation to donate to defeat him after a deadly shooting in midtown Manhattan sent the staff of the NFL, Rudin Management, and Blackstone into lockdown. 'This tragedy is not just a moment of mourning; it's a call to reject policies that would make our city even more vulnerable,' said Jared Epstein, a real estate executive who co-hosted a fundraising call with 200 potential donors for New Yorkers for a Better Future last week. It remains far from clear if the anti-Mamdani forces can find a successful path, especially when the opposition is divided among several more moderate candidates: Adams; former Governor Andrew Cuomo; Curtis Sliwa, the Republican nominee; and Jim Walden, a lawyer. Dora Pekec, a spokesperson for the Mamdani campaign, predicted that the donors, whom she described as 'Maga billionaires who spent millions trying to defeat Zohran in the primary', would again fail. 'New Yorkers are ready to turn the page on endless corruption and backroom deals,' she said. Mamdani, 33, has moved to meet his critics face to face. He has scheduled a meeting with Jed Walentas, the Two Trees executive who leads the Real Estate Board of New York, and the board's president, James Whelan, according to two people involved in the effort. It will follow meetings with other corporate executives whom he has tried to mollify. A recent poll paid for by the board showed only long-shot paths to victory for Cuomo and for Adams, who opted out of the Democratic primary after the Trump Administration abandoned his federal corruption indictment. The poll, which has not been previously reported, showed that more than 60% of New York voters view the mayor negatively, and more than 50% view Cuomo negatively, according to two people briefed on the survey. In a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans six-to-one, those numbers bode poorly for anyone challenging Mamdani. Three political consultants who have either started independent expenditure groups or have advised donors looking to fund one said they warned donors that the likelihood of defeating Mamdani is slim unless either the mayor or former governor drops out. Some of the city's wealthiest political donors appear to be holding their powder, at least for now. 'I tell everybody, don't get excited,' said John Catsimatidis, a billionaire Republican businessman, who has hosted events for Adams and Cuomo. 'Let's wait a few weeks.' Still, many of the city's business class see Mamdani, who wants to raise taxes on corporations and the wealthy to expand social services, as an existential threat and want to start fighting now. 'I'm 100% sure that this is not a money-lighting-on-fire session,' said Jason Haber, a prominent real estate broker and a longtime Democratic activist who led the fundraising call for New Yorkers for a Better Future with Epstein. His real estate listings include a US$23 million penthouse near Gramercy Park. 'Every single one of his plans will hurt the very people that he thinks it will help.' There is early evidence of cross-pollination. Both Blau and her husband, Jeff Blau, attended the call for New Yorkers for a Better Future. Lisa Blau pitched the real estate crowd on her group, whose non-profit structure she noted would allow donors to avoid timely disclosure requirements, two attendees said. And Hank Sheinkopf, a veteran Democratic consultant in the city, started his own group, Protect the Protectors, ostensibly to do the same work. In an interview, Sheinkopf disparaged other consultants for leading donors astray, but also acknowledged he was working with both McCaughey and former police commissioner Ray Kelly's PAC, Save NYC, and the pro-Adams super PAC, Empower NYC. 'The usual gaggle of members of the political industrial complex are going to grab as much cash as they can,' he said. Fix the City, a super PAC that spent US$22m for Cuomo's losing bid in the Democratic primary, plans to continue operating as a pro-Cuomo, anti-Mamdani vehicle. Empower NYC was the first super PAC directly supporting Adams, who has taken extraordinary steps to court big donors, including allowing billionaire financiers Bill Ackman and Daniel Loeb to vet his campaign manager. Abe George, a friend of Adams' and its chair, said he hopes to raise US$15m for the mayor. 'This guy survived Covid and the migrant crisis,' George said in an interview. 'Crime is down, jobs are up.' Eleonora Srugo, a friend of Adams' who stars in Netflix's Selling the City, filed paperwork this week to start another, Save the City PAC. Initially, Burger also argued for strategically supporting Adams. 'We need one of these two candidates to drop out of the race by mid-September,' Burger wrote in an email to associates. 'Tactically, we think spending money to try to move Adams in the polls helps accomplish this' by either boxing out Cuomo if Adams rises in popularity, or by persuading Adams to drop out of the race if he does not. During the meeting to promote New Yorkers for a Better Future, Aby Rosen, whose RFR Holding LLC owns the Seagram Building, took issue with that approach, according to two meeting participants. Organisers gave assurances the group would be candidate-agnostic. Rosen and Burger declined to comment for this story. Mamdani, for his part, has at least two super PACs supporting him. One has yet to report much fundraising. The other, New Yorkers for Lower Costs, has raised more than US$100,000 since the primary. This week, the group is launching a merchandise store. 'Freeze the Rent' beer koozies will retail for US$6 a pop. 'The only faction that Adams and Cuomo have successfully consolidated are Trump donors, which only deepens their unpopularity with an overwhelmingly Democratic electorate,' said Bill Neidhardt, spokesperson for New Yorkers for Lower Costs. New Yorkers for a Better Future, which only formed in July, appears to be having the most success with donors so far. Jeff Leb, an operative behind it, said he had already raised millions, though he would not give a precise total. Ricky Sandler, a financier who co-hosted Tuesday's event with Burger, has pledged US$500,000. (The pledge was first reported by Hell Gate, a local news site.) 'This isn't just another election fight; it's a stand against a risky ideology,' Leb said. 'Civic, community, and business leaders across the city aren't about to hand New York's future over to an extremist.' This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Written by: Dana Rubinstein and Nicholas Fandos Photograph by: Scott Heins ©2025 THE NEW YORK TIMES
