Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, a noted supporter of President Donald Trump, donated $250,000 to Democrat Andrew Cuomo’s New York City mayoral campaign, Politico first reported.
Ackman’s donation to Cuomo super PAC Fix the City pushed the group’s fundraising past $4.8 million, according to the report.
By comparison, super PAC New Yorkers for Lower Costs, which supports Democrat socialist Zohran Mamdani, reported $56,500 in fundraising through last week, according to the report.
Politico reported late last month that Cuomo had raised more than $120,000 from registered Republicans in his bid to unseat Democrat Mayor Eric Adams, who announced earlier this month he will run as an independent for reelection.
“No one is surprised Trump agent Ackman is bankrolling Cuomo’s Super PAC,” Dora Pekec, spokesperson for city comptroller and mayoral hopeful Brad Lander, said in a statement. “Cuomo himself accepted thousands in donations from MAGA donors who helped elect Trump.”
Ackman, who has been a prolific donor to Democrats and Republicans, also donated to Cuomo’s gubernatorial reelection campaign in 2013, according to the report.
Ackman, an alumnus of Harvard University, has been outspoken about his alma mater’s response to the antisemitic protests in the wake of the massacre of Israelis in October 2023 at the hands of Hamas terrorists. He has also criticized Columbia University’s response to it as well, as has Cuomo, according to the report.
Cuomo held a dominating lead among Democrats in a poll released late last month. Cuomo garnered 39% of the vote with Mamdani second at 15%. Adams came in at fourth at 7% before he announced his move to independent, leaving nine Democrat candidates.
“We know that it is more than possible to fund a strong anti-Cuomo movement, and we’re confident once a strong challenger emerges to the former governor, that effort can come together quickly,” Lauren Hitt, a spokesperson for New Yorkers for Better Leadership, said in a statement. “Cuomo is still very beatable — he has the highest negatives of any candidate in the race, and his lead is primarily rooted in the fact that his challengers are virtually unknown.”
The Democrat primary is June 24.