A relative handful of New Yorkers have opened their wallets for billionaire developer-turned-politician Donald Trump, far fewer than have done so for his rivals.
Trump’s campaign has taken in contributions from just 106 New Yorkers with just 11 giving the maximum of $2,700, including Meridian Capital Group’s Ralph Herzka and developer Arthur Zeckendorf.
Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, in contrast, received cash from 9,539 donors in the city. More than a third of those, 3,636, gave the maximum. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders had 5,618 city donors, of which 99 went to the limit, Crain’s reported.
Trump has bragged that he’s running a self-funded campaign. “I’m using my own money,” he said back in June. “I’m not using the lobbyists. I’m not using donors. I don’t care. I’m really rich.”
If he had made the effort though, he could have been “pulling in bucket” of money, Democratic consultant Joe Mercurio told Crain’s.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has raised $646,974 from city donors, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich took in $363,111.
Still, Trump is leading where it counts. He’s up by 30 points in in the state’s Republican primary context, to be held April 19, according to a Marist University poll. [Crain’s] – Ariel Stulberg