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Following the money in the City Council race
City Council candidate Elizabeth Lewinsohn is in the funding lead for our seat — by about $40K; she has raised nearly $310,000 (and spent almost all of it). Councilman Christopher Marte has more than $270,000 in his coffer; Jess Coleman has more than $253,000; Eric Yu has a total of $53,500.
But there are two big differences: Lewinsohn is the only one of the four candidates NOT participating in the city’s matching funds program, which means she has no spending threshold. There is also no limit in what a candidate can donate to herself, and in this case, she has contributed $168,150 to her own campaign to date. And Coleman is the only candidate to have the support of a political action committee, which as organizations do not have spending thresholds. To date, the People for Public Space, funded by Mark Gorton, the founder of OpenPlans, has spent $35,424 on Coleman’s campaign.
The spending threshold for City Council candidates participating in the matching program is $228,000 for the primary election and $228,000 for the general election. (The funds can roll over.)
There are limits on contributions and that applies to all candidates, whether they participate in the city’s matching program or not. For City Council participants in the match program, the contribution limit is $1,050; for non-participants it is $1,600.
And the matching program gives candidates an 8-to-1 match up to $175. In other words, for the first $175 from an individual contributor, the city will pitch in $1,400.
All candidates are prohibited from accepting contributions from corporations, LLCs, and partnerships. Candidates are prohibited from accepting contributions from political committees not registered with the CFB for the current election cycle. You can view the list of registered political committees for the 2025 election cycle (which also covers the 2023 City Council election cycle) here.
Reminder: the primary is Tuesday, June 24. The Early Voting Period is Saturday, June 14, to Sunday, June 22. See the hours for all here. And find your polling site here.
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Thank you for pointing out what other journalists have been too lazy to report on. It’s incredibly important. Any supposed Democrat who tries to buy an election by pumping their own extreme wealth into a campaign (which is only legal because of horrendous Supreme Court opinions that Democrats rightfully criticize) should be disqualified, in my book.
I have Lewinsohn a chance because I don’t like Marte, and don’t agree with Coleman on everything. But this is completely disqualifying. Hope everyone joins me and votes for Jess, a principled candidate who has done this the right way.
Genuine question: what do people think the practical difference in agenda will be between Lewinshon, Jess and Marte ?
Jess has drawn a very significant contrast with Marte, mostly on housing. Marte voted against City of Yes, opposes all new development. Jess has been VERY vocal about the housing shortage and how Marte’s record is part of the problem. Jess has also been outspoken on congestion pricing and outdoor dining, which Marte opposes.
Lewinsohn doesn’t have much in terms of substance out there, but think it’s fair to say she’d also he a more responsible representative than Marte.
I cannot find any information regarding Marte’s opposition to Congestion Pricing. I only find support, with reservations about how it would affect those who live within the Toll Zone. Wondering how this “rumor” became fact.
Thank you for pointing out. Housing is a convenient trope that comes in many political interpretations. I am not for unchecked using of public space for private gains under any circumstances.
And outdoor dining bonanza turns out to be a messy deal they can not fix. Sheds might have been reduced but tables and chairs on the sidewalk have been cropping up like wild fire all over, what’s the deal with that?
Jess also has no constructive response to the counterfeit bazaar on Canal/Broadway besides a vague shrug that suggests ‘ they are just trying to make ends meet’.
What happened to real public servants that work for the public?
Mr. Marte’s views are being misrepresented by his opponents (which is to be expected). He questioned the requirement for those living within the zone to pay charges to leave and return to their homes and sought exemptions. He also questioned Mayor Adams’ involvement with major forces in the real estate industry in connection with his “City of Yes” plans. Both of these are, in my opinion, valuable arguments.
I’m still undecided in this race, and honestly, I think all the candidates have interesting backgrounds and something real to offer. I’m not here to hype anyone up—but I do feel the need to call out all the negativity.
Jess has taken over $150K in public funds (yep, our tax dollars), and there’s a PAC spending big to help him out. Instead of sticking to the issues, his campaign sent out a negative mailer attacking the other candidates. Not a great look.
And after reading a few articles about this race, it really seems like his team is all over the comment sections trying to make it seem like there’s a wave of support. That kind of fake energy, paired with smear tactics? Doesn’t sit right with me.
I get the negativity turns you off. Not a huge fan of it myself, but it is important to point out that that was a PAC I believe, not Jess’s campaign. They can’t speak or coordinate at all (look at what’s happening with Cuomo and the PAC supporting him for context).
And at the same time, it’s not like anything that was in that mailer is inaccurate… This is politics at the end of the day. If someone ran against an incumbent without a clear argument as to why the incumbent is bad, that would be weird.
@Tim. In reply to your first/longer comment yesterday:
* Jess Coleman hasn’t “taken” $150k, he *qualified* for those funds by getting contributions from 75 in-district voters. That program was enacted decades ago by voters to help level the playing field against ultra-rich candidates. Please don’t make it out to be a grift.
* Yes, a PAC is supporting Jess’s candidacy. Like you, I didn’t care for their mailer’s negativity. But it was the PAC, not Jess’s campaign, that created and sent it. It attacked Marte, not the other candidates, and for legitimate reasons.
* No one on Jess’s team is co-ordinating my or anyone else’s comments supporting his candidacy. Our comments aren’t “fake energy” they’re a form of democratic engagement. I’ve been active in politics since JFK 1960 and I’m not stopping now.
Thank you for your insight and knowledge. I’m especially happy to hear that my neighbors are also enthusiastic about Jess Coleman. I’m hopeful!
Also glad to see the money trail in print.
Seems really desperate to donate $165K to yourself. Definitely a Trump/Elon-like move by Elizabeth.
Money, money, money – it’s a bad thing. Such contempt from folks for people who are willing to spend their own money to succeed. I’m a long time liberal Democrat, but at some point you need to be responsible for your actions and choices. Yes, free pre-K, breakfasts and lunches, food stamps, etc. plus housing vouchers. But why lambast someone for spending their own money.
Because this is a political campaign, not a shopping spree. Fundraising is part of the process, it indicates support and requires politicians to be accountable to the people. If you can’t raise enough to compete in a city council race, you should really reconsider why and whether you’re the right candidate. It’s corrupting to have a rich person just come in and try to buy everyone’s support. If it was just a few thousands dollars it would be one thing. But spending 300,000 ALREADY (way more than other candidates citywide)… HALF of which is your own money… I mean, come on. It’s ridiculous and a complete disrespect to the voters (especially considering this particular candidate is almost never present at anything just only her paid people).
I vote for the candiate that would best represent the community’s interests and has the best mindset, talent and capabilities. Focusing so much on funding versus best outcomes for citizens results in really bad outcomes. Lewinsohn clearly has the capabilities and will to get things done. She is my choice. The only thing that i agree with you is that Marte is horrible.
Nothing against Lewinsohn personally (just wish I would see her at things, she’s nowhere as far as I can tell). Hopefully we can all agree that the goal is to get rid of Marte and whoever you support (Jess or Lewinsohn), rank them one and two. Would be nice if they did a cross endorsement as well.
According to the New York City campaign finance board website, “follow the money”, the majority of Lewinsohn’s money comes from contributions from people outside our district and the majority of those contributions are over $1000. Clearly she’s trying to buy the election.
Coleman is not much better. He’s getting support from “people for public space“, which is funded by a multimillionaire, hedge funder called Mark Gorton who has donated $320,000 to the group.
Gorton contributed millions of dollars to RFK Jr.’s presidential campaign and even served as the campaign manager. Today’s New York Times reported that Gorton is also funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars to Eric Adams. Coleman supports Adams real estate boondoggle called “The city of yes.“
Meanwhile, the vast majority of Marte’s campaign contributions come in small amounts ranging from 10 to about 100 or $150.
Thank you.
To play devils advocate here, Jess has taken over $191,000 in public financing (our tax dollars) and has a PAC spending for him. Wednesday last week I received a negative mailer from him smearing the incumbent.
Again that didn’t come from his campaign unless I missed something. Also, why are you saying it’s not focused on the issues when it was very clearly focused on the issues (congestion pricing, housing, etc). Why is it bad to call out what the incumbent has done wrong?
As a longtime resident of lower Manhattan I appreciate all Marte has done to support public parks and participate in community events throughout his district.
PACs are not supposed to coordinate with campaigns? Yeah, ok. We all believe that.
The mailer was problematic for a few reasons – it is sleazy to change the color of someone’s skin or the overall color of a postcard to make him seem darker. This is not the rest of America, that stuff is not acceptable.
The main thing on the flyer is that Marte is against congestion pricing. The only place I have ever seen that is on a flyer. Somehow I find it hard to believe and would like actual evidence on that.
Marte is a LES kid and he shows up in Tribeca from time to time. I live in FIDI and have never seen him or even his canvassers over here. Hmm… I am open to Jess, his campaign is clever. But the PAC is troubling and a statement disavowing them would be nice.
Maybe we can have a Tribeca Citizen sponsored debate?
Chris Marte spoke at a rally in opposition to congestion pricing. Im not clear on what the confusion is. He stated his opposition to congestion pricing publicly through a bullhorn… https://x.com/henryrosoff/status/1869053576053723248?s=46
I don’t click on links to Twitter as that is not a platform anyone should support. It’s the personal mouthpiece of a Nazi.
I looked up what the facts were and found this: https://www.westsidespirit.com/voices/hochul-ignored-plea-from-4-council-members-for-relief-from-congest-toll-for-residents-living-below-60th-st-KB4065873
Marte suggested in a letter to Hochul that we institute a program like London and not penalize people who own cars and live in the district like Chinatown business owners. I have friends who own a car and live in the zone but not this district so I empathize. Why can’t we have a conversation about this, it’s not illogical. London is the gold standard for congestion pricing. Anyway, the program is a success and surviving court & Trump challenges so there is that.
A much more solid line of attack is his vote against the City of Yes. But if someone sends me a shady looking postcard, I’m going to ding them for that. And yes it’s very easy to find out who the PAC is and who they support.
Ok. I guess Marte didn’t speak at that rally because Elon Musk owns Twitter. Makes sense.
I don’t know about the PAC. I don’t care. I choose to vote based on the issues not based on 15 degrees of separation and tracking down donors who didn’t even donate directly to a candidate’s campaign. Marte takes money from the Lam group, a developer in Chinatown. We can do this all day. Again, I prefer to talk about the actual issues that affect us.
Well said. You should have said that in your original text.
The fact she won’t even participate in the matching program is incredibly disappointing. I’m excited to live in a district where our leaders actually support housing and new uses for public space. Jess it is for sure.
Jess it isn’t, for sure. We don’t need more fluff.
Jess or his pac hired a crew of people to put up add posters throughout the neighborhood. It’s a form of graffiti because they don’t have any intention of removing them after the election. I told them I don’t want them to put it on my corner, but they did anyway so after I took it down, they came back and put it up again so I took it down a second time. I told them that now I know who I’m not voting for.
Of the candidates for District 1, Marte is the one who best represents the entire community. He fights against displacement of longtime residents – Chinatown, Lower East Side, and displacement by ever increasing rents in Fidi, City Hall and even BPC. He recognizes that open building of more market rate construction (City of Yes) has never resulted in more affordable housing downtown. He recognizes that Congestion Pricing without exception burdens his constituents in the district who own cars. He fights to preserve what’s best about our District, and can relate to all his constituents – from the NYCHA residents in Smith Houses, to the elderly Chinese residents of Chung Pak Senior Housing in Chinatown, to the luxury condominiums of Battery Park City. He deserves our support for re-election,
Thank goodness for Chris Marte – who has supported this community and is a true advocate for affordable housing NOT gifts to developers to build unlimited market rate housing. This district has lost more affordable housing than any other in New York – thanks in no small part to unrestrained market-rate development. This district is proof that building more market-rate housing without a mandatory and substantial affordability component, does not bring prices down but the opposite.
I do not want to see 90-story luxury towers take over Tribeca. I am voting for Marte, a candidate with actual government experience. who actually cares about our community – and has a track record to prove it.
I’m a Jew living in Tribeca, and I’m concerned about antisemitism, but none of the candidates (at least to my knowledge) has expressed any opinion whatsoever. Does anyone have any notion of which candidate takes the strongest stand to protect Jewish New Yorkers? I’ve had “Intifada” with a target triangle carved into the sidewalk in front of my building on Murray Street near Church Street for months – the DOT was dishonest and lied about it being “in chalk” (it’s not, it’s in the concrete) and the First Precinct minimized my concern (the Police Office told me “intifada just means protest.”) Now there have been more violent attacks on Jews and I’m creeped out. I honestly don’t trust Chris Marte – he’s probably with the pro-Hamas Jew haters, for all I know. I really wish I knew how to address antisemitism in this city and who to vote for who might help.
@Will. Please, anti-semitism in Tribeca? Also, very importantly, do not equate anyone against the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza as anti- Semitic, that’s just disingenuous, plain and simple.
Yeah, antisemitism in Tribeca. We’ve seen some pretty atrocious things spray painted on construction walls, on stickers by the Franklin Street station, and have been subjected to protests calling for the expulsion of Jews from both Israel and NYC. Please do not minimize our experience or try to define for us what is antisemitic.
Please explain “ why you don’t trust Marte and why he is probably with pro Hamas Jew haters”? Repeating statements such as those doesn’t add clarity.
He definitely would meet with you or anyone to answer any of your questions. ( or attended any of the multitude of rallies he speaks to feel his passion for this district.)
As a 43 year resident of lower Manhattan I’ve known many Councilmen/ and one awful councilwoman. Chin was awful in her last years and now she has aligned herself with Elizabeth.
Marte doesn’t just promise he delivers. Our neighborhood and my neighbors are recipients of his actions and I bet you are too. We have all learnt that politicians say things to win our votes and then don’t deliver. He has been requesting more police staff for our precincts as well..This week officers, from both precincts, gave me a call because I had heard that “ Marte was for defunding the police”. Both precincts informed me that is further from the truth and they are aware of his requests for more staffing. He has lived in the district, maybe most of his life, if not all. He sees what you see. He cares about protection of all his constituents…not just one group. He doesn’t just use the “ buzz” words to win one’s vote. He works to earn it.