Super PACs Raise Large Sums as NYC Mayoral Race Heats Up

The pro-Andrew Cuomo super PAC, Fix The City, reported raising $1.26 million in just the past week, marking its most significant weekly fundraising since the Democratic primary. Notably, billionaire William Lauder, formerly at the helm of Estee Lauder, contributed $500,000 toward the effort.

Other prominent donors include Jack Zinterhofer, grandson of Ron Lauder, who added $250,000, and John Hess, former CEO of Hess Corporation, who contributed another $500,000. The DNA testing company Natra Inc. also donated $10,000. Given the unlimited contributions permissible to independent super PACs, these funds could provide Cuomo with the financial backing needed to remain competitive against other candidates, especially as he rises from an underdog position after losing in the Democratic primary.

While figures for the campaigns of mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani and incumbent Eric Adams are expected next week, recent filings show Mamdani’s super PAC, New Yorkers for Lower Costs, received a $250,000 donation from Elizabeth Simons, heiress of billionaire James Simons. In the past five weeks, Mamdani surpassed Cuomo in campaign fundraising, securing $1.05 million compared to Cuomo’s $507,000, with Adams raising $460,000 and GOP contender Curtis Sliwa bringing in $407,000.

Cuomo’s campaign views him as the only viable challenger to Mamdani, with plans to team up with neighborhood groups opposed to socialist candidates. Cuomo recently stated that the race is a battle for the Democratic Party’s soul, emphasizing his independent run line and contrasting himself with Mamdani’s socialist platform. He asserted, “I’m not a socialist,” highlighting his pro-business stance and questioning the feasibility of anti-business leadership in the city.