In a show of grassroots momentum, actor, activist, and lifelong New Yorker Cynthia Nixon received more low-dollar donations in her first 24 hours as a candidate than Andrew Cuomo has collected in over seven years as governor.
In the first day after announcing her campaign for governor, Cynthia received 2,214 contributions of less than $200. By comparison, Andrew Cuomo collected a total of just 1,369 small dollar donations since the start of 2011 (see table below).
“Andrew Cuomo has built a $31 million war chest from wealthy corporate interests, lobbyists, and billionaires,” said Cynthia for New York Campaign Manager Nicole Aro. “And with just 0.1 percent of his support coming from small donations from everyday New Yorkers, that tells you exactly the chance that Cuomo will care about your concerns: 0.1 percent.”
The New York Times reported in November that Andrew Cuomo “has raised over 99 percent of his campaign money from donations larger than $1,000 and nearly 99.9 percent of his funds from donors who gave at least $200.”
“We’re going to do things differently, because this campaign belongs to all of us. We’re not accepting a dime of corporate money,” Aro continued. “Instead, we’re building a people-powered movement to take back New York. The incredible grassroots enthusiasm we’re seeing so far is a sign that Democrats know that we can do better than Andrew Cuomo.”
BACKGROUND: Analysis of Contributions To Cuomo's Gubernatorial Committee (A31966)
In the table below, data from the Board of Elections details the number of small donations Cuomo has reported since the start of 2011, a number already exceeded by Cynthia Nixon’s insurgent campaign:
Paid for by Cynthia for New York
