NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's transition raises more than $3 million
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's transition fundraising effort is paying off.
With less than a month to go before Mamdani takes office, his campaign says they've raised more than $3 million from 29,746 donors. The average donation is $88, according to the campaign. The campaign says 95% of the donations it has received have been under $250.
Unlike campaign fundraising, there's no eligibility for public matching funds for transition expenses. Mamdani has previously criticized that policy.
"It's nuts to me too, brother," Mamdani said previously.
A few weeks ago, Mamdani announced in a video he was looking to raise a total of $4 million. Those funds are need to pay for hiring and retaining staff to build out the new administration, Mamdani's campaign said.
Mamdani's team touted the differences between their transition efforts and those that have preceded them. They point to Mayor Eric Adams transition, which they say was funded by 884 individual contributors and an average donation of more than $1,000, and former Mayor Bill de Blasio, who received an average donation of $2,392 from 820 donors.
"This movement is possible because of those individual contributors, and they are essential to building this people-powered administration," transition director Elana Leopold said.
The Mamdani team also said more than 71,000 people have applied for jobs in the new administration, with applicants coming from every zip code in New York City.
Mamdani's transition includes more than 400 New Yorkers serving on 17 committees to help advise his administration on a various topics.
Mamdani met this week with Mayor Eric Adams to discuss the transition of power, and policies that could continue under Mamdani's administration.