On July 14, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the relaunch of his New York mayoral campaign, this time a third-party candidate, after he defeated Zohran Mamdani in the Democratic primary.
Although the Super Political Action Commission (PAC) spent more than $22 million, the largest asset in the city’s history, Cuomo lost to Mamdani at 12 percentage points on June 24. Spending will certainly surge as candidates’ respective campaigns move forward to November 4, and according to the latest Artnews Data analysis, famous art world figures have participated in the competition. Those who donate to Cuomo include:
- Helena Grubesic, Senior Vice President, Christie’s, $2100
- Erica Downs, Phillips Watch Administrator, $2100
- Fahad Malloh, Director of Business Strategy, CEO Office, Sotheby’s, $1,000
- Jennifer Wright, head of old paintings at Christie’s, $250
- Gagosian Director Micol Spinazzi Richter, $250
- Laura Aswad, producer of the shed, $2100
- Diane Tuft, Mixed Media Artists and International Photography Council Member Center, $2100
- Art dealers Nathan Bernstein ($2100), Ramin Fallah ($2100), Vito Schnabel ($2100), Lorinda Ash ($1600), Evan Beard ($1000), Sheri Feigen, sheri Feigen ($1000) and Iris Cohen ($500)
- Topol Childs Art Advisory’s Art Advisory’s BJ Topol ($1000) and Laura Smith Sweeney ($500)
- Lisa Phillips, Director of the New Museum, $1000
- Dana Wallach Jones, Deputy Legal Counsel at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, $1,000
- Scott Campbell, director of the new museum campaign, totals $400
- Seth Rosen, Director of Development at LGBTQ+ Museum in the United States, $100
Loeb also provided $2,100 to his personal campaign donations.
Mamdani also received campaign donations from famous names in the art industry, including:
- Brenda Coughlin, Executive Director of Lannan Foundation, Total $2,800
- Aziz Isham, Executive Director of the Museum of Dynamic Images, Total $200
- Arsh Raziuddin, Vice President of Global Creativity, Christie’s, Total $250
- Laura Kandle, Director of Museum Operations and Administration, Asia Association, $129
The following names provide less than $100 for Mamdani’s campaign:
- Curators Josephine Graf and Kari Rittenbach of MoMA PS1, Mia Fineman of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Grace Yasumura of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Yelena Kellery of the Studio Museum of Harlem
- Hauser & Wirth Director Caitlin Foreht
- Alexandra Tell, interim director of Cuny Baruch College Mishkin Gallery
- Kurimanzutto Director Alexander Ferrando
- Joeonna Bellorado-Samuels, Senior Director of Jace Shainman Gallery
- Lauren Flading, Director of the Liquidation Gallery
- Artists Tauba Auerbach, Thomas Dozol, Joseph Montgomery, Matt Connors, Zoe Leonard, Morgan Bassichis, Salman Toor, Willa Nasatir, Dora Budor, Sanya Kantarovsky and Chloe Wise
- Andrew Zachery, an interdisciplinary artist and assistant professor of arts at NYU
- Phil Selway, Los Angeles-based art dealer
Mamdani also received donations from actor Hannah Einbinder (hacker), Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live) and Cynthia Nixon; and Tony Award-winning playwright Tony Kushner.
In a more comprehensive study of the involvement of major donors, Pro-Cuomo has repaired the city’s SuperPac funding includes $5 million from billionaire former mayor Michael Bloomberg, and $250,000 from top 200 collectors and hedge fund manager Daniel Loeb, reportedly New York Times. By comparison, the Pro-Mamdani Super PAC New Yorker raised about $1.4 million in lower costs.
March 24, Gothamists Cuomo raised $1.5 million, while Mamdani’s $1.4 million raised $1.5 million, the report said.
Although a large portion of individual donations to Mamdani’s mayoral campaign are under $100, his donations are also significantly higher than Cuomo’s 6,500, more than $27,600, according to public data from the New York City Campaign Financing Committee.
Mamdani’s campaign also raised over $900,000 in fundraising from city residents who qualify for the $8-$1 game plan; Cuomo raised just over $330,000 in eligibility far exceeds the same plan for city residents.
