NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Eric Adams pulled in a paltry $36,121 from just 37 donors for his reelection campaign over the first two months of the year — an anemic haul underscoring how just how narrow his path to victory has become.
The bad news comes as a maelstrom threatens Adams’ political future — underscored by the denial of $4.3 million in public matching funds due to bookkeeping irregularities and campaign finance infractions alleged in his federal criminal case.
And Tuesday’s filing makes up almost none of the lost ground.
Despite that disadvantage ahead of the June Democratic primary, he has raised $4.4 million for his 2025 bid, more than double any of his rivals who have or are on their way to getting matching funds.
Campaign spokesperson Todd Shapiro maintained the mayor has qualified for matching funds, and that he therefore did not need additional support.
“The Eric Adams campaign is proud to have raised the maximum allowable amount for this election cycle months ago — well in advance of any other candidate in the race for Mayor of New York City,” he said in a statement. “This achievement reflects the strong, broad-based support for Mayor Adams’ leadership and vision for the future of our city.”
Shapiro said that Team Adams is in communication with the city Campaign Finance Board about restoring the funds.
Adams’ latest disclosure, which covers the period between Jan. 12 and March 13, illustrated the dregs of his support.
He received $500 from the Amalgamated Transit Union’s political action committee, $400 from Ed Wallace, a lobbyist with Greenberg Traurig, and a maximum donation of $2,100 from Jason Xia, a professional poker player.
Adams also returned $3,700 worth of donations from crypto billionaire Brock Pierce, who had already given a maximum contribution last year. The campaign refunded $21,450 over the last two months, meaning the mayor netted just $18,967 during that period, far less than any of his competitors.
The mayor has been running a virtually nonexistent campaign, with a skeleton crew doing little more than the basic level of regulatory compliance. Since mid-January, the operation has paid $20,000 to Brianna Suggs, though Adams had previously announced her role as lead fundraiser was downgraded following a federal raid of her home in November 2023.
Tuesday’s filing did show new signs of life: In addition to several payments for fundraisers, the mayor forked over $67,000 to political consulting firm My Brnd Inc. to gather the signatures necessary for ballot access ahead of the April 3 petitioning deadline.
Expenditures slowed to a crawl, leaving Adams with $3 million in his account. He would need around double what he has raised to run a competitive citywide primary — hence the importance of matching funds — and Tuesday’s filing indicates he has been unable to capitalize on the advantages of incumbency.
Adams’ money troubles are entangled in a rat’s nest of other problems. His coziness with President Donald Trump, highlighted by the White House’s effort to toss his indictment, has led to calls for his resignation and moves to curtail his powers from fellow Democrats. He is polling at historic lows. His allies are defecting to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a leading competitor in the primary. And a rash of corruption probes have decimated the upper ranks of his administration.
On Monday, the mayor would not even commit to running as a Democrat, dodging multiple pointed questions about his future political affiliation.
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