Billionaire Trump donor Stephen Ross is reportedly raising $100 million for the next NYC mayoral race, and teaming with Mike Bloomberg's old deputy
Aug 14, 2020, 22:34 IST
- New York billionaire Stephen Ross is considering raising $100 million to garner support for a candidate of his choosing in the city's next mayoral race, and a major partner in his planning is the tech executive and former Mike Bloomberg advisor Daniel Doctoroff, The New York Times' Dana Rubinstein reported Friday.
- "Like many New Yorkers, Stephen Ross is deeply concerned about our recovery from the pandemic and the future of the city, which is deeply troubled right now," Ross spokesperson Jon Weinstein told The Times, saying that Ross has not yet begun raising money.
- Doctoroff is currently CEO of Sidewalk Labs, the Alphabet-owned "smart-city" company, and served as deputy mayor in Bloomberg's administration. He is a Democrat, although Bloomberg was a Republican when he started serving as mayor, later switching to Independent.
Ross has been advising on a proposal that Doctoroff is drafting to create a nonprofit to help shape an agenda for the next mayoralty, per the Times. Doctoroff told the paper he is not part of Mr. Ross' fundraising effort.
- New York's already unpopular Mayor Bill de Blasio has been under fire in recent months for his handling of the city's school system during the pandemic and the NYPD's use of force on protesters. De Blasio is unable to run for reelection in 2021 because of term limits, although Bloomberg ran and won on a one-time exception for a third term.
- Ross, a real estate billionaire who has also raised money for President Trump, is the developer behind New York's massive Hudson Yards neighborhood. The Times reported he has also donated to Democrats in the past.
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