Zohran Mamdani, a hopeful for the mayoral race in New York City, has managed to gather nearly $200,000 from donors in Long Island since his significant Democratic primary win. However, his total is still less than that of his opponent, according to recent financial disclosures.
Campaign finance records indicate that Mamdani reported $104,000 from Long Island supporters who are ineligible to vote in city elections, from July 12 to August 18, which placed him ahead of other candidates in that timeframe.
In contrast, former Governor Andrew Cuomo has raised over $1.5 million from Long Island donors as he campaigns independently after losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani in June. His reports show he collected $46,500 from 52 donors in the latest filing period.
Incumbent mayor Eric Adams, who is also running as an independent following his exit from the Democratic primary, has received just over $1 million in contributions from Long Islanders but has reported less than $29,000 from 35 donors in this latest filing, according to records.
Prior to his notable primary victory, Mamdani had approximately $57,000 from Long Island donors.
On the Republican side, Curtis Sliwa attracted more individual donors than Mamdani in this recent period, raising about $51,000 through his campaign.
This area showed strong support for Donald Trump in the last presidential election, with over 53% voting for him, marking the first time since 1988 that Suffolk County has established itself as a Republican stronghold.
Mamdani’s appeal on Long Island has garnered him some cautious backing from former Suffolk County police chief Rodney Harrison, who is in favor of socialist-inspired police reforms, such as dispatching mental health professionals for “non-violent” incidents instead of police officers.
Several prominent Long Island Democrats, including Laura Gillen and Tom Suozzi, have publicly disagreed with Mamdani and other socialist candidates, indicating their reluctance to support them as they diverge from party lines.
Suozzi expressed that Mamdani and his allies don’t align with his vision for the party, suggesting they create their own. Gillen has labeled Mamdani’s policies as “the wrong choice for New York City,” emphasizing that the city’s prosperity is crucial for the over 300,000 Long Islanders who commute to the city each day.
