Allies of socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani have launched a brilliant PAC in his help, in accordance with state Board of Elections filings.
Mamdani is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, which has lengthy been crucial of the involvement of tremendous PACs within the electoral course of since they haven’t any spending limits and function a means for wealthy donors to flood native races with money. The candidate earned the left-wing group’s endorsement earlier this 12 months.
Mamdani is pictured at a candidates discussion board hosted by District Council 37, New York Metropolis’s largest municipal staff union, on Feb. 26, 2025 in New York Metropolis. (Barry Williams / New York Each day Information)
However a supply on Mamdani’s group stated the PAC is a constructive signal for the marketing campaign, displaying that these within the political sphere consider in Mamdani and see him as a strong and viable candidate.
Mamdani’s mayoral bid has gained traction over the previous few months with snazzy social media content material and powerful left-of-center coverage takes. He has campaigned on a promise to freeze rents for rent-stabilized tenants within the metropolis, make metropolis buses free and supply free common childcare.
He has raised greater than $3.4 million with public matching funds since his marketing campaign announcement in October — a lot of that cash coming within the type of small-dollar donations, which his group has touted as indicators of sturdy grassroots help.
The Queens assemblymember got here in third in a latest Quinnipiac College ballot, netting 8% of the vote to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s 31% and Mayor Adams’ 11%.
Monge, the marketing consultant who filed the paperwork for the brand new Mamdani-boosting PAC, has a historical past of working for lefty political organizations and politicians.
Zohran Mamdani, left, is pictured alongside fellow mayoral candidate Brad Lander final month. (Barry Williams / New York Each day Information)
The Justice Democrats, a political motion committee fashioned by ex-Bernie Sanders staffers that was instrumental in electing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and different progressive members of “The Squad,” paid Monge almost $47,000 throughout the 2024 election cycle for “fundraising consulting,” information present. Extra not too long ago, on Jan. 28, the marketing campaign for Jessica Cisneros, a progressive congressional candidate in Texas, paid Monge $3,000 for consulting.
Monge didn’t return a request for remark, and a Mamdani consultant declined to touch upon the PAC’s formation.
Impartial expenditures like the brand new Mamdani PAC aren’t allowed by legislation to coordinate with declared candidates they’re supporting.
Tremendous PACs could be a highly effective pressure in mayoral races — providing an avenue for millionaires and billionaires to pour funds into marketing campaign mailers and political adverts in help of their most well-liked candidates.
Up to now, the one different tremendous PAC that’s been filed within the race is in help of Cuomo.
Initially Printed: March 7, 2025 at 5:31 PM EST
