NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani opts out of city's campaign matching funds program for 2029

Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News on Jul 16, 2026

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NEW YORK — Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Thursday he will opt out of the city’s matching funds program — which would have imposed limits on how big his war chest can get — in his run for a second term.

The program, which matches campaign donations from city residents 8-to-1 with taxpayer funds, helped boost Mamdani to victory last year.

Participants in the matching program are subject to a $8 million spending limit, which Mamdani indicated Thursday could restrict his ability to leverage his newfound celebrity against significant opposition from the center and right.

“This is a decision we’ve made to look to narrow the gap between the resources that we would be able to raise and spend and those that we know will be marshaled in opposition,” Mamdani said at a Lower East Side press conference.

The decision comes despite Mamdani’s emphasis during the 2025 campaign on small dollar, local donations. The matching funds program is intended to curb some of the outsize impact wealthy supporters have on elections by amplifying smaller donations.

The mayor has emerged as a national political figure despite his local municipal role, especially after his chosen candidates for Congress swept their contests in June.

Mamdani already raised about $304,000 from nearly 6,000 donors for his 2029 reelection bid, per a filing with the city’s Campaign Finance Board that came out Wednesday night.

The mayor also declined to say whether he’d reject super PAC support.

Super PACs can raise and spend unlimited amounts of cash in elections, but are banned from directly coordinating with campaigns. Several such groups flooded last year’s mayoral race, spending a historic $82.95 million across the primary and general, according to Citizens Union. Much of that was spent against Mamdani.

“The only decisions I’ve made when it comes to 2029 have been the ones that we have to declare with the campaign finance board at this early stage,” he said.

Gov. Kathy Hochul also chose to opt out of the statewide matching funds program earlier this year in her run for reelection, framing the decision as in line with her affordability agenda by saving taxpayer dollars.

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