Former LG Betsy McCaughey (R) and former NYPD Commish Ray Kelly launch anti-Mamdani IE
Opponents of Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani are hoping to use his own playbook against him this November.
Former Lt. Gov. Betsy McCaughey and former NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly are behind a new independent expenditure committee registered last week called “Save NYC” that aims to increase voter participation in November’s general election to pull off a longshot defeat of the Democratic nominee.
The IE, first reported by the New York Sun, has yet to publicize a fundraising goal or specific spending plans, but McCaughey said in an interview on Monday that they’re aiming to increase general election turnout to around 50% – an ambitious threshold given less than a quarter of registered voters turned out in the 2021 general election. “With a sufficient increase in turnout and voter engagement and voter education, Mamdani can be beaten, even though there are several candidates in the race against him,” McCaughey said. Though she acknowledged that their task would be easier if there were fewer candidates running against Mamdani, the group isn’t looking to single out one of his opponents to spend on, but rather focus on spending against Mamdani. “Anyone but Mamdani” – if you will.
The new IE is intended to be a separate political arm from the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization called “Committee to Save Our City” – with McCaughey and Kelly also at the helm – which was launched last year. The group has a somewhat general focus, but includes public safety issues. On Tuesday, it’s hosting a “stop subway crime” forum that will feature Daniel Penny, the former U.S. Marine who was acquitted of a criminally negligent homicide charge after choking to death a Black subway passenger with a history of mental illness.
https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2025/07/former-lg-betsy-mccaughey-and-former-nypd-commish-ray-kelly-launch-anti-mamdani-ie/406711/?oref=csny-homepage-river