Source: Spencer Platt / Getty
The reelection campaign for New York City Mayor Eric Adams is facing challenges after a low fundraising total, leaving doubts about his chances.
The most recent fundraising reports for the Democratic candidates for the New York City mayoral race are in, and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams’ numbers are strikingly low. In a campaign finance document submitted on Monday (March 17), Adams’ campaign brought in $18,697. The amount was in contrast to what the campaign spent over the period between Jan. 12 to March 13, which was $160,000 – more than eight times what it raked in.
Further details for that period showed that only 43 donors contributed to Adams’ reelection campaign, and 16 donors were issued refunds. By comparison, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s campaign netted $1.5 million in donations in just about two weeks. Another primary opponent, Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, has obtained $850,000 in campaign donations from 16,000 reported donors.
Mayor Adams’ bid for reelection has been damaged by the legal drama concerning his federal corruption case. While the Department of Justice under the administration of President Donald Trump has declared intent to drop the charges, a federal judge is still needed to sign off on the decision. In the interim, many have speculated that Adams and his legal team have acquiesced to Trump’s agenda regarding immigration in New York City. He had gotten out to an early lead in fundraising, bringing in $4.4 million last year before the New York City Campaign Finance Board decided to not offer matching funds citing the case.
When asked about the shortfall at his weekly press conference, Adams dismissed concerns. “Everyone is catching up to me,” he said. “I started raising early.” The news also connects to speculation that Adams could run as an independent. When queried about that, he responded: “When I’m ready to roll out my official reannouncement and my plan, I will do so. “When I’m ready to roll out my official reannouncement and my plan, I will do so,” Adams said. “And you, I’m going to make sure all of you are invited to it.”
