Mayor Adams’ Campaign Raises $250K, Lagging Behind Several Challengers

New York City: Mayor Adams’ reelection campaign brought in about $250,000 recently. That’s a lot less than some of his opponents. His team says the dip is due to a fundraising pause that happened late last year.

Vito Pitta, Adams’ attorney, shared the news on Wednesday. He didn’t say how much cash Adams has on hand or what was spent during this period, which ran from October 8 to last Saturday. The $250,000 came in after Adams resumed fundraising in mid-December.

Adams had paused his fundraising in mid-October, thinking he had enough private donations to hit the $7.9 million spending cap, including public matching funds. However, the Campaign Finance Board denied him those matching funds in December because of his federal corruption indictment. Adams has pleaded not guilty to these charges, which claim he accepted illegal campaign contributions and bribes from Turkish officials.

Adams plans to appeal the board’s decision but will keep fundraising just in case the denial sticks. Pitta mentioned they expect to see their numbers grow soon and feel ready to spend the maximum amount allowed.

The Democratic primary is set for June 24, and Adams is facing a crowded field of challengers. In December, he held a fundraiser in Puerto Rico, asking attendees to donate $3,850 each. This amount is higher than the $2,100 limit for candidates in the matching funds program, which he may be opting out of.

As of October 7, Adams had raised about $4.1 million in private funds for his 2025 campaign, with $3.1 million still available. Several candidates running against him raised more in the latest period.

Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, raised $642,339 from over 6,500 donors since starting his campaign in August. He’s eligible for about $2.4 million in public matching funds. Independent candidate Jim Walden also raised nearly as much, at $630,000, but hasn’t met the requirements for matching funds yet.

Full fundraising reports for all candidates are due Wednesday, including those from Comptroller Brad Lander and former Comptroller Scott Stringer, who have met the requirements for public matching funds. An updated report for Adams’ legal defense trust is also expected, but Pitta didn’t share any details about it. The trust has been low on cash due to rising legal fees and fewer donations lately, but Pitta believes interest in the trust will pick up soon.