Money Talk: Manhattan Candidates Hit the Ground Running

The image of Benjamin Franklin of U.S. hundred dollar bill with afterimage of it repeated behind it.
Image credit: Never Sink Media

This year, the NYC Campaign Finance Board (CFB) approved a whopping $17.3 million in matching funds to City candidates – a sizable portion of which went to candidates running in Manhattan.

The City’s Campaign Finance Program works thusly – candidates who raise above a certain threshold in $1-to-$8-dollar donations receive matching funds from the NYCCFB. Said threshold differs depending on the office the candidate is running for.

The program’s purpose is to incentivize candidates to seek support from average New Yorkers, instead of pandering to special interests. Over 96 percent of the candidates in New York’s 2021 elections are taking part in the program.

This year, 56 City Council candidates qualified for matching funds, 15 of which are running in Manhattan districts. Of those 15, six received the maximum possible payouts under the NYCCFB’s new “Option A” program. The 15 candidates received matching funds totaling $2,055,524 – nearly a third of the $6,357,073 raised by City Council candidates across the five boroughs.

One particular standout this month was City Councilmember Ben Kallos (D-Yorkville, Lenox Hill), who is running for Manhattan Borough President. Kallos received $460,651 in matching funds, and was the only Manhattan BP candidate to receive any at all. Steven Matteo, who is running for Staten Island BP, was the only other BP candidate to receive matching funds.

“I am proud of the overwhelming grassroots support my campaign is seeing, and today’s public funds payment is a testament to that energy,” said Kallos. “This is what it looks like when campaigns are supported by real New Yorkers, not real estate developers, corporations, or lobbyists. We are ready and eager to hit the ground running in 2021.”

“I am very much looking forward to working on behalf of the entire Borough of Manhattan, expanding on the work I have been doing in the Council around improving education, affordable housing, homelessness and making government more accountable.”

Candidate Overview

OfficeCandidatePayment on Dec. 15
MayorEric Adams$4,388,102
MayorScott Stringer$3,330,535
ComptrollerBrad Lander$2,344,442
Manhattan BPBen Kallos$460,651
City Council District 1Maud Maron$160,444
City Council District 1Christopher Marte$159,779
City Council District 3Erik Bottcher$160,444
City Council District 5Billy Freeland$137,803
City Council District 5Kim Moscaritolo$160,444
City Council District 5Tricia Shimamura$109,075
City Council District 6Sara Lind$120,179
City Council District 7Shaun Abreu$160,301
City Council District 7Marti Allen-Cummings$160,444
City Council District 7Daniel Cohen$160,444
City Council District 8Diana Ayala$82,982
City Council District 10Carmen De La Rosa$160,420
City Council District 10Angela Fernandez$107,981
City Council District 10Johanna Garcia$160,444
City Council District 10Josue Perez$54,340