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It’s less than two weeks from Election Day, and campaign 2017 is shaping up to be one of the cheapest in modern New York City history.
According to the latest figures from the Campaign Finance Board website, just over $41 million has been spent by campaigns so far this year. While that number will increase as the bills from last-ditch campaigning roll in, this year’s total tab looks certain to be less than any citywide election in 20 years—even if you take Mike Bloomberg out of the equation.
In 2013, $122 million was spent. Leaving Bloomberg’s money aside, the spending in 2001, 2005 and 2009 was $95 million, $62 million and $71 million, respectively. You have to go as far back as 1997, when candidates spent only $37 million, to find a lower amount than our current race has generated.
But that doesn’t mean some individual donors have not been very generous. More than 1,500 people have given the $4,950 maximum to a citywide candidate. Thirteen intermediaries have gathered more than $50,000 in donations each.
And a few donors have stood out. Based on a review of contributions to candidates in amounts of $1,000 or greater, here are the ten individual donors who, according to the CFB’s database, have made the biggest cumulative impact this cycle:
| Donor | Amount donated | Who they are | Candidates they have supported in this cycle |
| Nanette Wolf | $41,150.00 | homemaker; wife of Robert Wolf of the Read Property Group | Mathieu Eugene, David Greenfield, Andrew King, Donovan Richards, Julissa Ferreras-Copeland, Robert Rodriguez, Scott M Stringer, Rafael Espinal, Vanessa Gibson, Alan Maisel, Mark Gjonaj, Kalman Yeger, Deborah Rose, Bill de Blasio, Ydanis Rodriguez, Karen Koslowitz. |
| George Klein | $36,150.00 | executive at the Park Tower Group, which does real-estate development | Ruben Diaz Jr., David Greenfield, Scott Stringer, Melinda Katz, Mark Levine, Bill de Blasio, Letitia James, Dan Quart, Dan Garodnick, Melissa Mark-Viverito |
| Ayala Barnett | $27,500.00 | teacher; wife of developer Gary Barnett of Extell Development | Ruben Diaz Jr., Brad Lander, Donovan Richards, Robert Rodriguez, Scott Stringer, Keith Powers, Melinda Katz, Letitia James, Dan Quart |
| Kate Englebrecht | $26,800.00 | author and producer; wife of Jed Walentas of Two Trees Management | Brad Lander, Scott Stringer, Eric Adams, Antonio Reynoso, Ronnie Cho, Melinda Katz, Bill de Blasio, Letitia James |
| Touran Weissman | $26,325.00 | married to Neil Weissman who is the head of the Jackson Development Group | Robert Rodriguez, Donovan Richards, Keith Powers, Ritchie Torres, Rafael Salamanca, Jr., Melissa Mark-Viverito, Melinda Katz, Ruben Diaz Jr., Bill de Blasio |
| Alexander Rovt | $24,200.00 | billionaire real-estate investor | David Greenfield, Scott Stringer, Eric Adams,Alan Maisel,Bill de Blasio,Letitia James,Elizabeth Crowley, Alicka Ampry-Samuel |
| Vincent Pacifico | $25,000.00 | founder, Vista Food Exchange | Ruben Diaz Jr., Andrew King, Fernando Cabrera, Robert Rodriguez, Rafael Salamanca Jr., Mark Gjonaj, Barry Grodenchik, Mark Levine, Bill de Blasio, Ruben Diaz Sr. |
| Margo Catsimatidis | $23,550.00 | wife of John Castimatidis, former mayoral candidate and head of Gristedes Foods | Robert Capano, Nicole Malliotakis, James Oddo, Melissa Mark-Viverito, Letitia James, Bill de Blasio |
| Fredric Mack | $26,700.00 | director, The Mack Company, a real-estate firm | Ruben Diaz Jr., Brad Lander, Julissa Ferreras-Copeland, Benjamin Kallos, Mark Weprin, Scott Stringer, Ritchie Torres, Mark Levine, James Van Bramer, Melissa Mark-Viverito |
| John Petry | $22,300.00 | founder, Sessa Capital | Ruben Diaz Jr., Fernando Cabrera, Robert Rodriguez, Ritchie Torres, Josh Thompson, Mark Gjona, Henry Butler, Ronnie Cho, Mark Levine |
