Zohran Mamdani breaks a major record in transition fundraising ahead of NYC inauguration
TOI GLOBAL DESK | TOI GLOBAL | Nov 26, 2025, 00:27 IST
Zohran Mamdani breaks a major record in transition fundraising ahead of NYC inauguration
( Image credit : AP )
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, halfway through his four-million-dollar transition fundraising goal, has already raised two million dollars in about 20 days. His team sees the widespread grassroots support as a hallmark of their administration's publicly focused priority.
TL;DR
Zohran Mamdani, NYC Mayor transition fundraising crazy success: 2 million raised in less than 20 days, achieving half of the 4 million dollar goal. More than 25,000 donors and a grassroots fundraising approach are what the team announces.
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has raised two million dollars for his transition effort, reaching the halfway point of his four million dollar goal in less than 20 days. His team made the announcement of the milestone on Monday, citing a large number of small-dollar contributions that have been the main driver of the fundraising effort ahead of schedule. Mamdani's full goal is planned for Jan. 1, the date of his inauguration.
On Nov. 16, during an interview with journalist Bill Ritter, Mamdani first made known his early progress in fundraising when he said that more than one million dollars had been raised. After the announcement, the mayor-elect set a higher target of four million dollars to cover the costs of staffing, the office of administration, and the extensive review of the incoming resumes of job-seekers.
Elana Leopold, the executive director of the Mamdani's campaign, said that the fundraising effort depended heavily on the involvement of the general public rather than a few wealthy donors. According to Leopold, the transition has been the recipient of more than 25,000 individual donations, and the average contribution is seventy-five dollars. She explained the effort as a mirror of the values that Mamdani would bring to City Hall, stressing accessibility, affordability, and participation of the community.
Leopold expressed that the money would be used to carry out a thorough hiring process for which over 70,000 resumes of applicants would be reviewed. She pointed out that the donation-driven model would be the administration's way of informing the voters that they would be recruiting candidates who are not only capable but also ready to take office with a clear mandate from the voters on Jan. 1.
Besides the financial update, Mamdani proclaimed that he appointed over 400 people to 17 transition committees that are meant to guide policy priorities and operational planning. Worker Justice and Community Organizing, the two committees, are the new additions that were not there in the previous New York City mayoral transitions. The committees will advise labor rights to public engagement as the mayor-elect will be preparing to take office.
Political pundits believe that the rapid grassroots fundraising pace of Mamdani is an indication of people's strong faith in his campaign promises. The supporters argue that the handover building is an ideal example of how the new administration will be open and answerable to the community. However, the opponents are only focusing on the manner in which the resources will be used in the next few months.
FAQs
Zohran Mamdani, NYC Mayor transition fundraising crazy success: 2 million raised in less than 20 days, achieving half of the 4 million dollar goal. More than 25,000 donors and a grassroots fundraising approach are what the team announces.
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has raised two million dollars for his transition effort, reaching the halfway point of his four million dollar goal in less than 20 days. His team made the announcement of the milestone on Monday, citing a large number of small-dollar contributions that have been the main driver of the fundraising effort ahead of schedule. Mamdani's full goal is planned for Jan. 1, the date of his inauguration.
On Nov. 16, during an interview with journalist Bill Ritter, Mamdani first made known his early progress in fundraising when he said that more than one million dollars had been raised. After the announcement, the mayor-elect set a higher target of four million dollars to cover the costs of staffing, the office of administration, and the extensive review of the incoming resumes of job-seekers.
Elana Leopold, the executive director of the Mamdani's campaign, said that the fundraising effort depended heavily on the involvement of the general public rather than a few wealthy donors. According to Leopold, the transition has been the recipient of more than 25,000 individual donations, and the average contribution is seventy-five dollars. She explained the effort as a mirror of the values that Mamdani would bring to City Hall, stressing accessibility, affordability, and participation of the community.
Leopold expressed that the money would be used to carry out a thorough hiring process for which over 70,000 resumes of applicants would be reviewed. She pointed out that the donation-driven model would be the administration's way of informing the voters that they would be recruiting candidates who are not only capable but also ready to take office with a clear mandate from the voters on Jan. 1.
Besides the financial update, Mamdani proclaimed that he appointed over 400 people to 17 transition committees that are meant to guide policy priorities and operational planning. Worker Justice and Community Organizing, the two committees, are the new additions that were not there in the previous New York City mayoral transitions. The committees will advise labor rights to public engagement as the mayor-elect will be preparing to take office.
Political pundits believe that the rapid grassroots fundraising pace of Mamdani is an indication of people's strong faith in his campaign promises. The supporters argue that the handover building is an ideal example of how the new administration will be open and answerable to the community. However, the opponents are only focusing on the manner in which the resources will be used in the next few months.
FAQs
- What amount of money is Zohran Mamdani looking to raise?By Jan. 1, he wants to reach the sum of 4 million dollars.
- How many transition committees has Mamdani appointed?He has appointed over 400 members across 17 committees, among which are 2 newly formed committees that focus on worker justice and community organizing.