Donations from Muslims across the United States backed New York state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani in his primary win in the New York City mayoral race, and now, some of those who supported him in his win over former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo are predicting more influence from Muslim Americans in fundraising in national elections.
Hours after former Mayor Michael Bloomberg poured an extra $5 million into Cuomo's PAC, Muslim Americans mobilized nationwide, saying they wanted to give Mamdani an extra push, reports ABC News on Friday.
And when Mamdani, a Muslim born in Uganda, pulled out the win over Cuomo, who had been considered the presumed favorite, several donors said similar fundraising efforts from Muslim Americans could affect who runs in major races, and even who could win.
On election night, Mamdani's super PAC, "New Yorkers for Lower Costs," released a memo about his win where they thanked donors, singling out the "generosity of Arab and Muslim Americans."
Regina Monge, the PAC's chairwoman, told ABC News that most of Mamdani's donors were either Arab or Muslim.
Mamdani's race was supported by several demographics, but longtime Muslim donors said the effort to back him stands out as it was the bloc's first unified national effort.
Asif Mahmood, a Democrat bundler for powerhouse candidates like Hillary Clinton and Vice President Kamala Harris, called Mamdani's candidacy transformative and said it influenced others such as Michigan Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed. So far, El-Sayed's campaign had netted $1.8 million in less than three months, with 95% of the donations coming in at less than $100.
"[Mamdani] was able to move Muslim support across the board," Mahmood said. "He has shown his strength."
He added that he is contacting Mamdani's campaign to hold a fundraiser at his own home in California, as "this is not a local race anymore. This is a national race."
The war in Gaza also led Muslim donors to become more involved financially, following comments Mamdani has made about the fight.
Meanwhile, some Democrat strategists say South Asians or Arab Muslims in the United States do not often invest in politics, choosing religious institutions or charities instead.
"Investing in politics is rarely the first instinct, but once it happens, it marks a transition from survival to coalition building and political power," Democrat strategist Waleed Shahid told ABC News.
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.