Andrew Yang announces his candidacy for mayor of New York at a news conference on Jan. 14. | Kevin Hagen / AP photo
Andrew Yang has enough donations to qualify for taxpayer counterpart funds, his campaign for mayor said on Sunday.
The former presidential candidate, who launched his candidacy for mayor of New York last month, said he raised more than $ 250,000 from donors living in New York City. According to the city’s campaign funding rules, applicants who reach this limit with at least 1,000 local contributors can obtain campaign money from the city, with small contributions matched at a rate of 8 to 1.
The campaign hopes to raise more than $ 2 million in public funds, according to a memo released on Sunday when the city’s Campaign Finance Council checks the figures.
In total, the campaign said it raised more than $ 1 million from all donors, including New Yorkers and non-residents. About 11,000 people donated.
Once verified, Yang will be the fourth Democratic candidate for mayor to hit the matching funds mark, after attorney Maya Wiley, Brooklyn district president Eric Adams, and city controller Scott Stringer.
“Despite entering the race months, or even years, after other candidates, we quickly raised more than $ 250,000 in matching 8: 1 donations from New York City residents to qualify for matching city funds, fastest campaign to reach the corresponding funds limit in the race, ”wrote campaign managers Sasha Ahuja and Chris Coffey in the memo.
The average contribution is $ 84, the campaign said.
Yang led the handful of public polls that have been conducted so far in the primaries race, despite a series of stumbles noticed early in his campaign.
He announced earlier this month that he had Covid-19 and was removed from the personal campaign.