New York, NY (July 16, 2026) – Citizens Union Executive Director Grace Rauh issued the following statement in response to reports that Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s reelection campaign does not plan to participate in New York City’s public matching funds program:

“Mayor Zohran Mamdani won the race for City Hall in 2025 with the support of small dollar donors and an army of volunteers that beat big money — including record-breaking Super PAC spending aimed squarely at him. It’s disappointing that he now appears ready to walk away from the New York City Campaign Finance Board’s matching funds program as an incumbent, and we strongly urge him to reconsider.

“NYC’s matching funds program is a national model, one of the most respected and established in the country. It diversifies who gives to campaigns, forces candidates to build broad bases of support among constituents, and gives voters a choice among candidates beyond those who can self-fund or attract big checks. Leaders at the highest levels of our government should set an example and participate.

“When a well-funded candidate opts out, it doesn’t just affect that single campaign. Because of the program’s trigger rules, if a non-participant raises or spends more than half the applicable spending limit, spending limits for everyone else in the race rise by 50 percent; if they exceed three times the limit, the cap disappears altogether.

“Once that cap lifts, every candidate in the race ends up spending more time chasing donors and less time talking to New Yorkers about the issues that actually matter to them.

“This system exists so that candidates are accountable to their constituents, not wealthy donors. It also strengthens our democracy. We hope the mayor will recognize what made his own campaign successful, and stay in the program that made it possible.”