New York’s real estate and legal industries drove much of Mayor Adams’ latest campaign cash haul, the latest filings show, helping put the mayor ahead of any would-be competitors for his 2025 campaign.
It was one of several findings in a Daily News analysis of his latest campaign finance report released Tuesday showing Adams raised $399,000 from last July 14 to Jan. 12. All told, Adams has raised a total of about $3 million so far as he vies for a second term.
Here’s a look at some key observations from Adams’ latest campaign haul, which covers the most recent six-month period:
Big presence in legal, real estate
The legal world stood among the top sectors to contribute to Adams’ campaign, with at least six dozen individuals contributing over $70,000 during the reporting period. Almost half came from one firm. (More on that below.)
Real estate companies large and small also chipped in to Adams’ latest haul, with some four-dozen contributors with job titles that include real estate agent, developer, builder or CEO in a development firm giving money.
Adams has made it known he’s a pro-business mayor ready to streamline bureaucracy for the sake of real estate developers looking to build in New York City. The amounts from real estate interests total at least $51,720.
Among the developers is Sam Charney, who is currently involved in building a 261-unit property in Gowanus, and David Neil, a principal at the Durst Organization, a New York City real estate firm with a major foothold in several well-known properties. Each gave Adams’ campaign $2,100.
Manhattan edges out Brooklyn
Residents in Manhattan contributed more to Adams than his home borough of Brooklyn.
Campaign numbers show at least 111 contributors that call Manhattan home gave to the mayor, with numbers that range from $10 to $2,100. The majority of those contributions were matched by the city’s Campaign Finance Board. Adams is participating in the 8-to-1 matching funds program that allows him to collect extra money from the city in a program designed to limit influence from deep-pocketed donors.
Adams’ home borough of Brooklyn was nearly as generous to the mayor, with over 100 Brooklynites giving to Adams, who once served as its borough president.
Brooklyn has doubled as the epicenter for political power in the city given that all three citywide elected officials — Adams, Comptroller Brad Lander and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams — hail from the borough. The filings also showed that while Brooklyn was good to Adams, the mayor had to issue refunds to some of his supporters.