With sizable fundraising haul, Scott Stringer appears primed to challenge Adams with mayoral run

NEW YORK — In a sign the 2025 mayoral race may well be contested, former city Comptroller Scott Stringer told the Daily News he’s raised approximately $425,000 in donations for a potential primary run against Mayor Eric Adams — an amount that could grow to about $2.1 million once matching funds are factored in.

Both Stringer and state Sen. Zellnor Myrie (D-Brooklyn) announced earlier this year that they were launching exploratory committees to examine the possibility of running against Adams, a move that enabled both to begin campaign fundraising.

The results will be made public Monday by the city Campaign Finance Board as part of its latest fundraising filing deadline — but Stringer gave The News an early look over the weekend into his haul.

Of the $425,000 cash on hand he raised, Stringer said about $207,000 of it qualifies for the city’s matching funds program. Given that, he estimated his total, once matching funds are included, would come out to a little more than $2 million he could spend in a race against the incumbent mayor.

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He noted that about 2,100 people have so far donated to his exploratory committee since January, when he launched it. According to an operative working for Stringer, about 1,800 of those donations are eligible for matching funds and the average donation came in at about $157.

“I’m thrilled,” Stringer said. “This filing reflects a desire for change in the city. People want someone who’s a proven, experienced manager, someone who understands the city’s finances, and someone who has always done big things.”

Adams is widely viewed as hobbled for an incumbent. He, his aides and his campaign are the subject of several investigations on the federal, state and local levels, though Adams has not been accused of any wrongdoing. He was openly at odds with the City Council for months over the city’s budget — a fight that has left lingering bad blood. And recent polls have shown his approval ratings have hit record lows.

Still, Stringer — if he ultimately decides to run — is likely to face an uphill battle. The mayor has the power to help or hurt potential supporters through city spending and his public policy choices, while Stringer has no such juice at the moment.

And despite donations possibly being drawn away from Adams’ campaign to his legal defense fund, the mayor has a formidable political war chest. According to the Campaign Finance Board’s website, as of Sunday Adams’ campaign had an estimated balance of more than $2.2 million — and that does not include what he’s expected to report Monday — or what he might garner through matching funds.

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Vito Pitta, Adams’ 2025 campaign counsel, told The News on Sunday that the amount of available funds is now higher.

“The mayor’s campaign has continued to draw strong support from New Yorkers, raising more than $1 million over the last six months — putting the amount available to spend for his reelection at more than $8 million, which is close to the maximum allowed,” Pitta said.

According to the campaign, Adams has so far raised a total of $4 million in contributions, with matching funds bringing that to about $8 million.

Aside from Stringer and Myrie, who announced his exploratory committee in May, other potential candidates who’ve voiced an interest in running include the current city comptroller, Brad Lander, and state Sen. Jessica Ramos (D-Queens).

And while Stringer stopped short of formally announcing his own mayoral run, he certainly sounded as if that’s his intention.

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“We’re going to build massive affordable housing. We’re going to make sure we align policing and a mental health initiative, the likes we’ve never seen,” he said. “I’m going to make sure that every child gets pre-K and after-school so we can change the direction of the city,” he said.

Those issues are viewed by some as sore points for the current mayor, who threatened to cut pre-K spending as part of the city’s financial austerity measures and who has also himself bemoaned how challenging it is to create new housing.

Stringer took the contrast between him and Adams even further, though.

In his conversation with The News, he claimed his skill set and experience “as the grownup in the room” is “unmatched by anyone in this race.”