Despite New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani’s anti-corporate bona fides, corporate interests have poured close to $2 million into supporting the election of his allies to the City Council, campaign finance records show.
While Mamdani has worn his lack of corporate support as a badge of honor, suggesting that not being in the pocket of business interests will allow him to govern New York City independently, the cadre of left-wing councilmembers he has aligned himself with — in some cases already meeting to coordinate policy — are themselves being bolstered by donations from Uber, Airbnb, DoorDash, and the corporation that owns Madison Square Garden.
“New York City is not for sale to [President] Donald Trump’s billionaire donors,” Mamdani said at a September rally with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). “It is not for sale to corporations like DoorDash.”
Mamdani, however, is already planning to implement his agenda with fellow progressives who do take DoorDash’s money.
On Oct. 24, the New York Daily News reported that Mamdani’s campaign was already meeting with allied New York City Council members and candidates to discuss how they would implement policies related to public safety. Justin Sanchez, a Democrat running to represent part of the Bronx, was invited to the closed-door meeting.
Sanchez has attracted the support of Local Economies Forward NY, a political committee funded entirely by $1.8 million in donations from DoorDash. To date, the corporate-funded PAC has spent $182,844 supporting him.
“Zohran Mamdani sold himself as a reformer, but he is just another corporate-backed politician, no different from [Independent New York City mayoral candidate] Andrew Cuomo,” a spokesperson for Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa told the Washington Examiner. “Curtis Sliwa is funded by everyday New Yorkers and accountable only to them, and when he wins, he will owe nothing to special interests, billionaires, or the political class.”
In total, the Washington Examiner’s review of New York City campaign finance records turned up nine Mamdani-aligned candidates for City Council who have benefited from corporate political donations. These included prospective councilmembers who have endorsed Mamdani, campaigned with him, and canvassed on his behalf.
Carmen De La Rosa, an incumbent councilwoman representing part of Northern Manhattan, for instance, has done all three while benefiting from corporate cash.
She walked the streets with Mamdani to drum up support for each other on the eve of the city’s Democratic primary, appeared with him at multiple campaign events following his primary victory, endorsed him, and has lobbied voters on his behalf as recently as Oct. 19.
De La Rosa’s support for Mamdani is unsurprising, given her progressive reputation. She is even jockeying for power using a similar strategy. In her bid to become New York City Council Speaker, she has expressed a desire to pursue “cohesion” with a possible Mamdani administration and stressed that she has “never bowed to corporations.”
Uber NY PAC, a political action committee funded entirely by $2.7 million in contributions from the eponymous corporation, has spent $156,787 supporting De La Rosa this year, campaign finance records show.
Crystal Hudson, another incumbent Democrat running for reelection to the New York City Council, has been praised by Mamdani as a “champion for affordable housing, universal childcare and civil rights” who is “fighting not only for the residents of central Brooklyn but each and every one of us in this city.” She has also endorsed Mamdani for mayor.
Hudson has received $118,045 in support from Uber’s political committee this year.
Shaun Abreu, another Democratic City Council incumbent who has campaigned with, canvassed for, and endorsed Mamdani, benefited from $259,417 worth of support from Uber’s PAC.
Among the other Democratic City Council candidates who have aligned themselves with Mamdani and received corporate support are Kevin Riley, who received support to the tune of roughly $600,000 from PACs funded by DoorDash, Airbnb, and Madison Square Garden; Pierina Ana Sanchez who received $22,000 support from a Madison Square Garden-funded PAC; Althea Stevens who received about $160,000 in support from an Uber-funded PAC; as well as Rita Joseph and Shanel Thomas-Henry, who each received about $180,000 in support from an Airbnb-funded PAC.
Joseph, who has endorsed and campaigned alongside Mamdani, has accused corporations of causing many of the problems facing New York City.
Mamdani, Riley, Thomas-Henry, Joseph, Abreu, De La Rosa, Stevens, Hudson, Sanchez, and Ana Sanchez did not respond to requests for comment.