Billionaires Boost Cuomo's Fundraising Lead in NYC Mayor's Race

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Bloomberg

May 24, 2025 at 4:25 PM EDT


Former Governor Andrew Cuomo expanded his commanding fundraising lead in the New York City mayoral race with help from a few billionaire donors, according to newly published numbers filed with the city’s Campaign Finance Board.

Cuomo has accumulated $3.9 million since his entry into the race on March 1, as well as another $9.1 million from a pro-Cuomo political action committee called “Fix the City.” He’s also leading by significant margins in multiple polls, with four weeks remaining until the June 24 Democratic primary.

The mayoral race has become one of the most crowded in recent memory. Current Mayor Eric Adams’s weakness in polling, combined with ranked-choice voting and generous public matching funds has encouraged a diverse field of candidates to enter the race. At least nine Democrats with significant fundraising numbers are running in next month’s primary.

Between March 14 and May 19, the most recent filing period, Cuomo collected $2.4 million from nearly 3,000 donors. That’s around $2 million more than the second-biggest fundraiser in the period, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, who like Cuomo, entered the race in early March.

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-24/billionaires-boost-cuomo-s-fundraising-lead-in-nyc-mayor-s-race

[MadameButterfly]

1. i'm sad to see Andrew taking over the mayoral race

I thought with Adams likely to lose we might get someone with priniciples. But Cuomo has a NYC-ish personality and he will run his fiefdom with his usual inability to delegate to experts but more intelligence that most narcissists. He will at least not be a pawn of Trump. Trump it appears is trying to re-install his vassal Adams, so I find myself in the cynical position of supporting Cuomo if a better and more viable Democrat doesn't arise in the primaries.

I look back with nostlgia at the moment in history when it looked like Mark Green was going to become mayor before BLoomberg did an unprecedented blitzkieg of millions (billions) and commanded all his charities to fall in line for a squeeker of a victory that nontheless would likely not have happened if not for 9/11 on primary day and later debunked accusations by the Ferrer campaing against Greene.

We had a chance for real honest liberal instead of these weird hybrids that keep cropping up in a city that should have a string of progressive mayors.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. It seems that NYC tends to elect bombastic, media-seeking mayors

with those like Dinkins or de Blasio being in the minority (notice that de Blasio's name is barely ever mentioned).

[MadameButterfly]

3. I was there during Ed Koch's tenure

Don't have an opinion of him, just that his personality wouldn't have fared anywhere but NYC. David Dinkins I don't remember in detail but it seems we could have done better..
I just think a city like that should have great mayors. There is so much talent. But the winners are always compromises. Mark Green would have been great.

Bill DeBlasio was a councilman who we relied on for all kinds of help. Getting permits for a preschool, etc. when the departments responsible seemed incapable of responding before putting us out of business. I feel indebted to him when no one else would help. I was out of NYC during his mayoral tenure, but remain loyal. He was a man dedicated to service.

[BumRushDaShow]

4. Koch was another bombastic mayor

who got caught in the nightmare of the city's bankruptcy.

Being here in Philly, almost a stone's throw away, my mom had subscribed to the NYT (and at one time, the Wall Street Journal - way before Murdoch, and it arrived in the U.S. mail every day), plus listened to NYC radio stations here (and could even pick up the ABC channel 7 here), so would get the scoop on what was going on up there from the '70s and on.

(and ETA - I was always fascinated by the frequency assignments afforded the city - "660" (WNBC), "770" (WABC), & "880" (WCBS). I even remember when WNBC played music, where after changing formats, the call letters were changed as well to WFAN)

Dinkins, as the first black mayor, always had a struggle (I think he had been the Manhattan Borough President previously), and had continual run-ins with the PBA & Ghouliani, where Ghoul eventually cut Dinkins out of a 2nd term, and the rest is history with respect to going back to more "bombastic mayors".

The city is so unique, basically a conglomeration of 5 cities jammed together, but is also the epitome of a "political animal".

[Botany]

5. Didn't he have to resign from being the Governor of New York in disgrace for his treatment of women?

He needs to go away. At least that is my perspective as a non New Yorker.

[MadameButterfly]

6. His mistreatment of women is a symptom

of bullying on a larger scale. He doesn't delegate and he is all about his ego.
But he's a pollitical animal with a famous name. He'll never go away.
And he gives a good speech.