Hochul finds few backers in budget ad campaign

ALBANY, N.Y. — Thanks but no thanks.

That’s been the message from unions, business groups and real-estate interests approached about donating to an advertising campaign backing Gov. Kathy Hochul’s budget priorities, according to nine people tied to the various industries.

Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg gave American Opportunity, the group run through the Democratic Governors Association, $5 million last month to run pro-Hochul ads across New York and send mailers to constituents in lawmakers’ districts.

But it appears few other political heavyweights in the state who’ve backed past fundraising efforts followed Bloomberg’s lead.

Would-be donors said the effort was started too late in the budget season to affect negotiations.

“Nobody other than Mike Bloomberg has a pressing desire to set money on fire because it's been spectacularly unimpactful,” said one Democratic strategist granted anonymity to talk about behind-the-scenes discussions about the requests.

How much the fund has raised above the $5 million from Bloomberg is uncertain, and several Democratic insiders said it’s unclear whether the group is still soliciting contributions now that the budget’s two weeks late and counting.

The campaign has refused to disclose its donors, saying the contributions will be released when its first public filing is required in July.

“American Opportunity is a 501(c)(4) established to promote social welfare and policies, and it has registered in New York state as a grassroots lobbying entity. Our report in July will disclose contributions, as required by state law,” said Christina Amestoy, a senior adviser for American Opportunity who also works for the Democratic Governors Association.

A Democratic strategist close to the governor who helped organize the campaign said the main message is that Hochul plans to stick to her goals in budget talks, particularly her push to toughen bail laws and press municipalities to build more housing.

“Kathy Hochul is fighting for and holding the line on the most important issues that New Yorkers face — you see that in the Siena poll and others — not because it’s the easy fight, but it’s the right fight,” said the adviser who was granted anonymity to discuss the campaign’s thinking.

The campaign already spent at least $4.5 million in TV ads to promote Hochul’s agenda, with $2.8 million targeting the New York City market, according to AdImpact, which tracks spending. It was unclear whether more ad time had been bought.

The ads and mailers urge voters to thank Hochul for her efforts and to press lawmakers to support her agenda. The American Opportunity website includes a link that says, “Tell Gov. Hochul to keep up the work she’s doing to make New York a safer, more affordable home for our families” and sends readers to the state website where they can send a message to the governor.

For her part, Hochul has defended the spending, but downplayed Bloomberg’s support.

“This is an independent expenditure. I didn’t align myself with anyone. I’m taking support from anybody in the state of New York who supports our policies and many, many people do,” she said March 30 on New York Public Radio.

Though the effort hasn’t led to the usual special interests writing big checks, it doesn’t mean Hochul has struggled to raise cash for her own campaign. Last year, she raised more than $50 million for her election to a first term, a state record, through major donors in the real-estate industry in New York City, business groups and unions.

But the budget ads have done little to sway some lawmakers as progressives in particular push back on changes to bail laws — although she’s likely to get much of what she wants — and reject her mandate to require municipalities to build new homes, although a compromise is being discussed.

“For me, it doesn’t matter. I take it as a badge of honor. I know what I'm standing up fighting for,” Sen. Robert Jackson (D-Manhattan) said after mailers from the group were sent to his constituents last month.

In fact, Bloomberg’s support has had the opposite effect in some ways by mobilizing progressives to fight for higher income taxes on the rich and to reject the billionaire’s influence on the state budget. They have held weekly rallies at the Capitol to push back on the ad campaign.

“The governor has demonstrated that she is willing to hold up a $230 billion budget to do the bidding of her billionaire supporters while working-class New Yorkers continue to be crushed by the unaffordability crisis,” said Charles Khan, the organizing director of Strong Economy for All, a union-backed advocacy group.