As he and Eric Adams compete for monetary help from New York’s deep-pocketed enterprise group, Andrew Cuomo is returning to the Hamptons on Friday for his first large-scale marketing campaign fundraiser within the rich enclave since relaunching his mayoral bid.
Through the main, Cuomo, who resigned as governor in 2021 amid sexual {and professional} misconduct accusations he denies, was capable of courtroom most of New York’s rich donor class, together with Ackman, who contributed lots of of 1000’s of {dollars} to pro-Cuomo causes.
However since democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani defeated Cuomo by a 12% margin within the June 24 main, that help has been in query. Among the many defectors is Ackman, who introduced final month he’ll again Adams for mayor in November’s common election as an alternative. Different energy gamers of New York politics, like executives at SL Inexperienced, the town’s largest business landlord, are additionally opening up their pocketbooks for Adams, whilst he continues to face political fallout linked to his federal corruption indictment.
Each Adams and Cuomo are operating as independents in opposition to Mamdani, the Democratic nominee who’s polling as the favourite to win the November contest. As of the newest filings, Cuomo’s marketing campaign is sitting on about $1.1 million, whereas Adams’ struggle chest tops $4 million, excluding any exterior spending by tremendous PACs that will transfer to spice up their respective bids.
Obtained by Day by day Information
Andrew Cuomo is headed to the Hamptons for a fundraiser on Friday. (Obtained by Day by day Information)
Friday’s 5 p.m. fundraiser within the Hamptons, whose different hosts embrace longtime Cuomo pal Jeffrey Sachs, actual property agent Jackie Lowey and dermatologist Macrene Alexiades, highlights how honchos in New York’s Mamdani-wary enterprise group are nonetheless wrestling with who to line up behind between Adams and the ex-governor.
Hank Sheinkopf, a veteran New York political strategist who has launched an anti-Mamdani tremendous PAC forward of November’s election, mentioned some segments of the enterprise group are in panic mode over the Cuomo-Adams scenario as a result of they don’t know who to throw their weight behind.
“Many of them are waiting for the sky to open up and tell them what to do because they have no idea what to do,” mentioned Sheinkopf.
Cuomo has pushed a proposal beneath which he and Adams would decide to dropping out and supporting the strongest candidate between them as gauged by a September ballot with the intention to maximize their probabilities of beating Mamdani in November.
However Adams has dismissed that proposal and vowed to remain within the race it doesn’t matter what, sending tremors by the town’s moneyed class, who fear the mayor and Cuomo will break up the vote and ease Mamdani’s path to Metropolis Corridor. Along with Cuomo, Mamdani and Adams, Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa and unbiased Jim Walden can be on the November poll.
The invitation to Friday’s Cuomo fundraiser urges attendees to contribute $2,100, the authorized max, to his marketing campaign with the intention to get “host” standing, or $1,000 to be a “sponsor,” $500 to be a “supporter” or $250 to be a “young professional.”
Cuomo spokesman Wealthy Azzopardi didn’t return a request for touch upon the occasion, however a supply near his marketing campaign mentioned the ex-governor deliberate to return to the town instantly after the Hamptons shindig.
After his main loss, Cuomo formally launched his unbiased common election bid in mid-July. He has since began fundraising once more, however the supply near Cuomo’s marketing campaign mentioned it’s not a prime focus at this stage of the race.
“The campaign this time around has de-emphasized fundraising,” the supply mentioned, talking on situation of anonymity to debate inner technique deliberations. “There’s no question the money will be there to beat Mamdani, but right now the focus is on pounding the pavement, meeting voters where they are and getting out the campaign’s policy agenda.”
Cuomo — who has hosted a sequence of policy-focused press conferences in latest days — didn’t safe public matching funds for his marketing campaign throughout this week’s newest payout as a result of he hadn’t but met the requisite donation thresholds. Azzopardi has mentioned he expects to fulfill these thresholds by the subsequent matching funds payout in late August.
Meantime, Adams continues to be denied matching funds altogether as a result of the Marketing campaign Finance Board maintains he “has violated the law” regardless of a controversial determination by President Trump’s Division of Justice to drop his corruption case. Mamdani took dwelling one other $1.7 million in matching money this week.
Initially Printed: August 8, 2025 at 10:09 AM EDT
