Zohran Mamdani, the leading candidate from the socialist faction, criticized Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday for seeking donations from wealthy individuals instead of engaging with everyday New Yorkers during the campaign.
Mamdani claimed Cuomo has been focusing on Manhattan’s elite, referring to it as the “billionaire line,” especially since Mayor Eric Adams stepped out of the race on Sunday.
“While I’m working to gain the support of Eric Adams’s voters, Andrew Cuomo is courting his donors,” the left-leaning Democratic candidate remarked from Midtown.
A pointed critique emerged as corporate leaders expressed concern over Mamdani’s progressive policies, with reports indicating that Cuomo was actively raising funds for his independent campaign during Monday and Tuesday.
“Andrew Cuomo knows only one way to campaign,” Mamdani asserted.
Both of these influential figures are significant backers of Cuomo, as highlighted by Mamdani’s remarks.
Mamdani also pointed out that John Hess, an oil executive and Trump supporter, had made donations to Cuomo, along with Ronald Lauder, known for his involvement during Trump’s Greenland acquisition attempt.
None of the billionaires mentioned responded to inquiries for comments.
The dynamics of the race have left some corporate leaders uneasy, considering Mamdani’s connections to the American democratic socialist movement and his stance against corporate interests. Paul Zuver, executive vice president of the NYS Business Council, questioned whether Mamdani is a political figure aligned with democratic socialism or simply a politician adopting those ideals.
According to sources familiar with Cuomo’s campaign, after Adams’s withdrawal, Cuomo quickly reached out to numerous donors just hours following a Sunday night Zoom meeting.
Cuomo proclaimed to his supporters that he would counter Mamdani effectively, aiming to rectify the mistakes he made during the June Democratic primary.
“He seems to have gained momentum. It might be a misconception, but it energizes people. There’s a perceived opportunity here,” an insider remarked.
Mamdani energetically confronted the issue of billionaire influence during a press conference, contrasting with Cuomo’s more relaxed approach through a press release.
This release, titled “Hypocrisy is called Mamdan-I,” took aim at certain Queens Assembly members who supported a super PAC linked to a billionaire heir.
“Zohran Mamdani is trying to mislead voters while embracing hypocrisy,” stated Cuomo’s spokesperson Rich Atzpaldi.
Cuomo also mentioned that Mamdani’s family owns property in Uganda, reiterating his criticism of Mamdani’s connections.
Mamdani’s campaign recently reached its $8 million spending limit through small donations from locals and supporters nationwide. In comparison, Cuomo has not yet hit that threshold.
One notable name mentioned by Mamdani is billionaire Laurie Tish, whose family has made more than $400,000 in contributions to Cuomo’s Super PAC.
Laurie Tish opted not to comment.
Mamdani argued that the financial backing by billionaires for Cuomo signals his reliance on big money interests.
“Mario Cuomo once said that campaigning is poetry, while governing is prose,” Mamdani told reporters. “What Andrew Cuomo has written doesn’t rhyme, and it seems to have been influenced by billionaires and Donald Trump. New York deserves a leader not beholden to the rich.”
– Additional reports by Carl Campanile
