Overview

• Zohran Mamdani, having reached the fundraising cap, urged his supporters to donate to rival Adrienne Adams to help her qualify for public matching funds by a critical May 19 deadline.
• This move marks the first instance in this election cycle of a candidate publicly encouraging donations to a competitor in a ranked-choice voting strategy to block Cuomo.
• Andrew Cuomo leads the race with 37% support in recent polling but faces setbacks, including Campaign Finance Board penalties and withheld public funds over alleged coordination with a super PAC.
• Progressive groups, including the Democratic Socialists of America, are targeting older, non-white voters to bolster Mamdani’s campaign while leveraging Adams’ appeal to moderate Black voters.
• Antisemitism and Israel have become pivotal issues in the race, with candidates sharpening their outreach to Jewish voters amid rising hate crimes and the ongoing Gaza conflict.