And they’re off!
The unofficial start to the 2025 mayoral election is kicking off on Monday with candidates in the already crowded field set to release fundraising figures.
The filings will give the public and pundits a snapshot of the traction being gained by the challengers looking to unseat Mayor Eric Adams as the Democratic nominee ahead of the election late next year.
It will also show how successful the mayor has been in pulling in cash as the federal investigation looms over his campaign and his defense trust fund taps donors to cover any legal bills connected to the probe.
Others will also be focused on current city Comptroller Brad Lander’s filing for the first months of the year after weeks of rumors in political circles as to when he will formally jump in the primary race, which will be decided next June.
The city’s Campaign Finance Board is expected to make the filings public early Monday.
Mayor Eric Adams’s campaign told The Post that they had raised more than $1 million over the last six months — bringing the total war chest, with city matching funds, above $8 million.
“The mayor’s campaign has continued to draw strong support from New Yorkers,” said Vito Pitta, Adams 2025 campaign counsel.
Last filing period, the Adams camp raised just over $500,000, which was down from the six-month period prior.
Former city Comptroller Scott Stringer, whose first shot at mayor flamed out, pulled in more than $420,000, which comes in at $2.1 million with public matching, according to his campaign.
“This is a very hefty downpayment on a campaign for mayor,” Stringer told The Post, adding he believes the haul sets him up to make the race competitive.
Stringer, who has had six months to fundraise after jumping in with his exploratory committee in January, recorded more than 2,100 donors with an average of $98.
The campaign for Zellnor Myrie, the progressive state senator with little name recognition in comparison to Stringer and Adams, declined to release figures ahead of the filing.
Myrie has been making a big push to fundraise on social media, but his campaign has played down expectations, reminding reporters the liberal only tentatively joined the race in May.
Lander’s camp also declined to give a preview of the filing, but he would bring a multi-million-dollar war chest along with him from his comptroller campaign if he does formally decide to challenge Adams.
That would trigger a set of dominoes among local pols.
The favorites at the moment are Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso.
The two would take on State Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar.
Pundits then have Councilman Keith Powers as the favorite for Manhattan Borough President.
