Democrat Adrian Adams raised $128,000 in the first week of her mayoral campaign, but the big blow to her campaign prevented her from qualifying for a public matching fund.
The city council president's delay in the race and not being able to utilize the 8-1 public matching fund ahead of the party's June 24 primary will make the path to victory even more difficult, the campaign strategist said on Sunday.
“It certainly puts her at a disadvantage,” said Chris Coffey, who ran the Andrew Yang mayoral campaign in 2021 and former GOV supporter. Andrew Cuomo's comeback bid for city hall.
“You're not a candidate unless you're on TV,” said former Brooklyn councillor Sal Albanese, who ran for mayor in 1997 and 2017.
He said he was eligible for taxpayer dollars just before the 1997 Democrat primary run.
“My poll numbers rose 12 points because I was able to put up TV ads. But it was too late. I got the funding a few weeks before the primary,” Albanese said.
According to the city's Campaign Finance Committee, candidates must collect at least $250,000 in donations from 1,000 contributors to qualify for matching funds. Adams may not be able to access matching funds until May.
Still, Albanese believes his relationship with Mayor Erival Eric Adams is competitive, as most voters don't pay close attention until the final weeks before the primary.
The Adrienne Adams campaign team released a positive note on Sunday, claiming that they have “big energy” despite their late start.
She raised over $128,000 in five days from 1,128 donors, including 875 donors living in New York City.
The campaign said that if the campaign is eligible, more than $78,000 in matchable donations will be eligible for $624,000 in matching funds.
“This early surge reflects authentic organic enthusiasm, with the exception of Zohran Mamdani's base.
They classify Cuomo's support as “passive” and she is “active.” The Cuomo campaign is scheduled to report his campaign contributions on Monday.
The former governor's allies have a super PAC called Fix the City.
However, some critics said council speakers are facing a difficult battle. One Queens Democrat said, “Adrian would be a great alternative, but she went into the race.”
Sources said council allies would need to set up independent super PACs known as independent spending to drap up the millions needed to compete with frontrunner Cuomo and other candidates.
Four other candidates have acquired matching funds – Mayor Bradlander, former Secretary Scott Stringer, State Brooklyn Sen. Zellner Miley and Queens Rep. Zoran Mamdani.
The CFB rejected Eric Adams' matching fund due to ongoing legal issues, but he raised $4.4 million.
Meanwhile, Brooklyn Democratic Chairman Rodney Bicott Hermelin – a close ally of Eric Adams – supported Cuomo.
Her husband, Edu Hermelin, is engaged in the Cuomo Campaign, a post reported last week.
This is 180 turns for Bichotte, who is also a state legislator, and on August 3, 2021, Cuomo said that Cuomo will “resign and resign” as governor after he concluded that a terrible investigation report commissioned by the Attorney General Letitia James killed or mistreated a woman.
Cuomo denied the charges, but resigned under the threat of perch and is now attempting a comeback bid for the mayor.
