The battle between former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Zohran Mamdani in New York City's heated mayoral race has turned into a back-and-forth about their donors, with Mamdani accusing the former governor of taking support from "elites" and Cuomo saying his rival is taking "dirty money" from extremists.
Mamdani, the Democratic Party's nominee, has said for months that millions of dollars have come in for Cuomo from "Trump-backed" elites and real estate interests.
But last week, Cuomo accused New Yorkers for Lower Costs, a super PAC backing Mamdani, of taking donations from people who celebrated the Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, Politico reported Tuesday.
Cuomo's attack focused on $100,000 in donations to the group from the Unity and Justice Fund, which he tied to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
His pivot to Mamdani's donors comes as he struggles to regain footing after an upset in the primary and his re-entry into the general election as an independent.
Cuomo's campaign noted that the Biden administration severed ties with CAIR in 2023 after comments by its executive director, Nihad Awad, praising Palestinians who broke through barriers on Oct. 7.
But CAIR and the Unity and Justice Fund deny having any formal affiliation, calling Cuomo's remarks misleading and defamatory.
"Governor Cuomo's attempt to label contributions from American Muslims as 'dirty money' is a baseless and Islamophobic smear," said Eric Sunderland, a treasurer of the Unity and Justice Fund.
CAIR Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell added that the group condemned the Hamas attack and cannot coordinate with political committees.
Meanwhile, Mamdani has been criticizing Fix the City, a super PAC supporting Cuomo that poured $23 million into the race, the largest amount ever in a mayoral primary.
He has highlighted multimillion-dollar contributions from former Mayor Michael Bloomberg and donors aligned with President Donald Trump, arguing they show Cuomo's loyalty to wealthy backers over everyday New Yorkers.
Mamdani has leaned on small-dollar donations, but New Yorkers for Lower Costs spent $1.3 million aiding his campaign in June and has since raised another $1 million, providing Cuomo an opening to attack.
The war in Gaza has also shaped the race, with Mamdani, a democratic socialist, accusing Israel of waging "genocide" against Palestinians and threatening to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits New York during his tenure.
The donor fight reflects broader vulnerabilities for both candidates.
"Where Cuomo is vulnerable is that he's largely been painted as the candidate of the more monied and powerful interests in the city," said Basil Smikle Jr., former executive director of the state Democratic Party.
"And I don't know that any of the super PACs that support his candidacy don't disabuse anyone of that image of him."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.