Not long after Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani’s decisive victory in the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City, a group of wealthy real estate titans and financiers pledged to raise tens of millions of dollars to defeat Mr. Mamdani, a democratic socialist.
Their push has only become more urgent as the Nov. 4 election approaches, with one recent email warning business leaders that if they “fail to mobilize, the financial capital of the world risks being handed over to a socialist this November.”
So far, their pleas have yet to be answered, largely because of Mr. Mamdani’s popularity and the scattered nature of his opposition: Three rivals — former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, Mayor Eric Adams and Curtis Sliwa — remain in the race, splitting up supporters and donors opposed to Mr. Mamdani.
Even so, the effort to damage his campaign has begun.
A coalition of groups have shelled out hundreds of thousands of dollars in coordinated advertisements and canvassing efforts aimed at blunting Mr. Mamdani’s momentum. Ads and campaign palm cards paint him as an idealistic political novice whose policies would harm the working class New Yorkers he proclaims to help.
One such digital advertisement warns against putting “a social media personality in charge of a $110 billion budget and eight million people,” as photos and videos taken from Mr. Mamdani’s short-lived career as a rapper flash across the screen.
“Mamdani’s viral posts might be catchy,” the video says. “But his inexperience will be chaos.”
Dora Pekec, a spokeswoman for Mr. Mamdani, downplayed the effort.
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