A cheat sheet to super PACs in New York’s 2026 general elections

It’s the waning days of the 2026 election cycle, and from Uber to MAGA megadonors to unions, it seems like everyone is trying to drop millions through super PACs super PACs in hopes of bolstering incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul or her Republican challenger, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman. But with two other statewide races and a whole slew of legislative contests around the state, there’s no shortage of other places to spend cash. And there are plenty of committees in the game with lots of money to throw around. Especially given their often nondescript names, when you’ve seen more Instagram ads or gotten more mailers than you can count, keeping track of them all and who is funding them can be a chore. We went through them all so you don’t have to.

Defend Empire State

Target: Supporting Blakeman, opposing Hochul

Follow the money: The top contributors are property management company Edelstein & Son Realty LLC, and hedge fund investor Jonathan Hellner, who both gave $50,000

What’s up with that? This is a relatively low-profile committee that has paid for a handful of anti-Hochul digital ads running online and on social media. Although pro-Israel comedian and content creator Zach Sage Fox did directly share at least on of its ads on his own TikTok account. One might remember Fox from the New York City mayoral race last year when he partnered with Andrew Cuomo to bash Zohran Mamdani and socialism.

Evergreen NY Victory

Targets: Opposing Blakeman

Follow the money: This new committee is a joint venture between Evergreen Action and the League of Conservation Voters, though its funding came directly from Evergreen Action.

What’s up with that? The two environmental groups joined forces to form this new IE in order to attack Blakeman’s energy policies and to tie him to President Donald Trump. The committee has spent about $500,000 on digital ads to do just that.

Fair and Affordable New York

Target: Supporting Hochul, state Sen. Monica Martinez on Long Island and Assembly Member Al Stirpe in Central New York

Follow the money: Uber is bankrolling this committee with just over $3 million in contributions, with some assistance from the Democratic Governors Association, which also gave $69,000. 

What’s up with that? After spending big pushing for car insurance reforms backed by Hochul during the legislative session, the company is now investing in boosting the governor in her reelection. The committee has spent the vast majority of its cash – over $2.6 million – on television and digital ads in support of the incumbent Democrat. Those came in two big spends earlier September and a month later in October. With the remaining money, Fair and Affordable New York is spending to help out at least two incumbent state legislators. The super PAC paid nearly $200,000 on mailers in support of state Sen. Monica Martinez on Long Island, and another $100,000 on a TV and digital ad for Assembly Member Al Stirpe in Central New York.

Greater Empire State

Target: Supporting Hochul

Follow the money: Run by the Democratic Governors Association, the committee has received $1.5 million from former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The billionaire has become a significant  Democratic donor in recent years.  

What’s up with that? As the DGA looks to boost Hochul and criticize Blakeman, it’s not only leaning on Bloomberg funds, but others, as well, like the Sports Betting Alliance, which gave $1.2 million, the Greater New York Hospital Association, which gave $1 million, and Leadership for New York, another independent expenditure committee associated with real estate interests, gave $1 million as well. It recently made its first major spend of the cycle, dropping almost $3.2 million on a television ad buy.

Hotel Workers for Stronger Communities

Target: Supporting Hochul, state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, state Attorney General Letitia James; Assembly candidates Joey Cohen-Saban, Chris McCreight and Joyce Xie in Brooklyn; and state Senate candidate Larry He, also in Brooklyn.

Follow the money: Funded by the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, which gave $650,000 to the committee, and fellow hospitalities union UNITE HERE, which put down $100,000.

What’s up with that? This one is pretty straight forward.The independent expenditure affiliated with a powerful union – led by Hochul ally Rich Maroko – is investing in keeping statewide Democrats in power and backing some southern Brooklyn Democrats in key legislative races.

Invest in Education Coalition Inc. Action Fund New York

Target: Supporting Hochul

Follow the money: Finance executive Robert Niehaus is the top donor, giving $200,000 this year, with fellow private equity executive Anthony de Nicola giving $100,000 and investor Thomas Kempner Jr. providing $50,000.

What’s up with that? De Nicola is the co-founder and chair of the Invest in Education Coalition, with Niehaus serving also as its treasurer. The pro-school choice group advocated for Hochul to opt into the federal education tax credit, which the governor did earlier this month. Now, they’re spending to make sure she’s reelected.

Leadership for New York

Target: Supporting Hochul and opposing Blakeman

Follow the money: This IE may technically be registered to independent consultant Jay Martin, but this is the New York Apartment Association’s committee through and through.

What’s up with that? Nothing says old-school New York politics more than real estate interests getting involved in elections. NYAA directly gave the committee $3 million, with nearly $1 million coming from a separate IE called Better Housing Now, which in turn got its money from NYAA. It has spent over $2.5 million on TV and digital ads opposing Blakeman. And it even gave $1 million to DGA-run IE Greater Empire State.

Left Hook

Target: Supporting Hochul and opposing Blakeman

Follow the money: Make the Road Action is funding the committee with a little under $350,000 contributed so far. 

What’s up with that? Started by Make the Road Action NY co-Director Daniel Coate and progressive consultant Amit Singh Bagga, the committee is meant to target leftwing voters in New York City. It unveiled two digital ads created by Mamdani videographer outfit Melted Solids, though it has only reported $500 spent on those ads so far.

New York Accountability Coalition

Target: Supporting DiNapoli and opposing Blakeman

Follow the money: Multiple public sector labor unions, including District Council 37, the Civil Service Employees Association, the Public Employees Federation, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and CWA District One banded together to form to back DiNapoli’s reelection. 

What’s up with that? Labor groups initially formed the committee to support DiNapoli during his contested primary in which he faced two opponents running to his left. But the IE has gotten a new influx of cash from the unions and appears to have shifted gears to focus on the race for governor. In recent days, the committee spent $265,000 on digital ads opposing Blakeman and reported the creation of a website.

New Yorkers for a Balanced Albany

Target: Supporting Hochul; state Senate candidates Rory Lancman and Lisa Vider on Long Island, Joseph Rand in the Hudson Valley, Sarah Rogerson in the Capitol Region and Larry He in Brooklyn; and incumbent state Sens. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton and Monica Martinez of Staten Island and Long Island, respectively.

Follow the money: Associated with the pro-charter school group StudentsFirstNY and funded by former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg.

What’s up with that? Longtime Albany observers are very familiar with this pro-charter IE.  A noted charter school advocate and billionaire, Bloomberg gave the committee $1.8 million earlier this year, and it recently started spending some of that cash for the general election after getting involved in the June primaries. The group is also dedicating a smaller amount to boosting Hochul through door hangers and palm cards.

New Yorkers for a Stronger Future

Target: Supporting Hochul

Follow the money: Bloomberg is the sole donor to this IE this year, giving $1.5 million.

What’s the deal? This pro-school choice group has recently spent big for Hochul following her decision to opt into a federal education scholarship tax credit.

New York Forward

Target: Supporting Scarcella-Spanton, Martinez, fellow state Sens. Pete Harckham, Jeremy Cooney and Chris Ryan, and Assembly Members Chris Eachus, Didi Barrett and Pamela Hunter, plus state Senate candidate Larry He. 

Follow the money: The bulk of its funding so far has come from predictions market Kalshi – currently in a legal battle to operate in the state – which gave $400,000 at the end of September, and the Coalition of Asian American Independent Practitioners Association, which has given $272,500. 

What’s up with that? In an apparent first of its kind, New York Focus reported this independent expenditure committee was created and is being run by top Albany lobbying firm Brown & Weinraub. The IE appears to be boosting candidates who support – or influence – issues important to Brown & Weinraub clients. So far, much of the spending has been on digital ads backing its candidates as well as some campaign materials. 

New York Future

Target: Supporting Hochul; Ryan, Martinez, Scarcella-Spanton and fellow state Sens. Lea Webb, Toby Ann Stavisky, James Skoufis and Michelle Hinchey; and Eachus and fellow Assembly Members Kwani O’Pharrow, Judy Griffin, Patrick Carroll and TJ Schiavoni. Also opposing Republicans running against those legislative Democratic incumbents.

Follow the money: Mobile sports betting giant DraftKings gave the committee $3 million in recent weeks, with FanDuel providing another $250,000.

What’s up with that? Mobile sports betting companies have increasingly been getting involved in New York politics, dropping big money on lobbying and elections for favorable outcomes. This is the industry’s main IE for New York, and after getting involved in primaries, it’s not sitting on the sidelines for the general. New York Future’s biggest single spend so far was earlier this month, a $150,000 TV ad buy in support of Hochul. But that doesn’t mean the committee isn’t spending plenty more for its slew of legislative candidates as well.

NY Families Together

Target: Supporting state Attorney General Letitia James

Follow the money: Sports Betting Alliance is the sole contributor, giving the committee $500,000 earlier this month. 

What’s up with that? Remember what we just said about mobile sports betting companies being big players in New York politics now? Whereas the companies themselves are directly funding New York Future, an industry group advocating for those companies’ interests is behind this committee, which is focused exclusively on James. Most of its cash was spent on TV ads earlier this month.

Progress New York State

Target: All the beneficiaries are Democratic challengers to Republican incumbents. In the state Senate, those are Lisa Kaul in Poughkeepsie and Larry He in Brooklyn. In the Assembly, those candidates are Kim Keiserman and Joshua Slaughter on Long Island, Ryan Taughrin in Western New York and Ian Phillips in Central New York. 

Follow the money: This independent expenditure committee is tied to New York State United Teachers.

What’s the deal? The IE received $600,000 from the teachers union at the start of October, the only contribution the committee has gotten for the year. It has spent most of that money – nearly $523,000 – all in payments made in mid-October for a series of digital ads for Democratic candidates around the state. Smaller sums were spent on mailers for Slaughter and He.

Strong and Safe New York

Target: Supporting Blakeman, as well as GOP state attorney general candidate Saritha Komatireddy.

Follow the money: The main bankrollers here are billionaire James Dolan and his affiliated companies, other Trump supporters – like billionaire Stephen Wynn, businessman William Lauder and a pro-Trump dark money group – and New York patron of the arts Caryln Ratner. 

What’s the deal? Strong and Safe has dropped $6.5 million the past few months to attack Hochul and boost Blakeman. It has been spent on various ads and social media content, including some on billboards for Blakeman and two stunts featuring Hochul moving trucks for Hochul in Manhattan and Albany. Several Dolan-controlled entities gave a combined $3.7 million to the committee. Coalition to Restore New York, an IE also bankrolled by Madison Square Garden  and Dolan, gave an additional $1.3 million. Most recently, pro-Trump dark money group Securing American Greatness also donated $2 million to the committee. 

Transport Workers Union VOICE

Target: Opposing Hochul

Follow the money: As the name implies, this is an IE directly associated with the TWU, which gave the IE just under $400,000 to play with.

What’s up with that? TWU International President John Samuelsen kind of famously doesn’t like Hochul, and is one of her biggest critics who isn’t a Republican politician. He has frequently attacked her as an enemy to labor after several high-profile strikes and general contract negotiation disputes. So the TWU is taking to the airwaves to urge New Yorkers not to vote for her (though the ads don’t boost Blakeman as an alternative, either).

Women on the Move NY

Target: Supporting Hochul

Follow the money: This IE is run by Emily Giske of Bolton-St. Johns.

What’s the deal? If you’ve heard about this committee lately, it’s because Lily Fan, the chair of the state Liquor Authority recently raised eyebrows from good government advocates after giving big bucks to this IE. They argued that’s in violation of a long-standing executive order preventing gubernatorial appointees from donating to the governors’ campaigns or groups boosting them.