FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, July 28, 2025
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New York Media Agrees: DREAM Campaign Most Successful PAC in Primary
Analysis by Hell Gate, Gothamist, New York Magazine, and the New York Times reveals that DREAM’s “Don’t Rank Cuomo” campaign was the most successful electoral strategy of the primary
New York, New York - Analysis of the final results of rank choice voting in the New York City Democratic primary by Hell Gate, Gothamist, New York Magazine, and the New York Times have all come to the same conclusion: the DREAM (Don’t Rank Evil Andrew for Mayor) campaign was the most successful Super PAC in the race. Not only did a majority of voters not rank Andrew Cuomo at all, New Yorkers followed DREAM’s specific ranking strategy. Of all the progressive campaigns, only DREAM recommended ranking Michael Blake #5, and 75,274 voters submitted ballots with Zohran Mamdani number one followed by Brad Lander, Adrienne Adams, Zellnor Myrie and Michael Blake - DREAM’s exact ranking.
Said the DREAM campaign: “The DREAM campaign met New Yorkers in the ways and spaces where New Yorkers actually absorb the news: through sold-out merch, viral videos, and content from their favorite influencers. The analysis by every major New York media outlet from Hell Gate to the New York Times reveals the effectiveness of our method, with the most popular non-Cuomo ballot ranking being the DREAM slate exactly as we recommended. With just a fraction of the funding of billionaire backed Super PACs, DREAM ran a historic grassroots campaign that used creative tactics to educate voters and align the field against Cuomo. If you want your dollar to go further towards beating Cuomo and his billionaire backers again in the general, donate to DREAM.”
More on the DREAM campaign’s accomplishments during the Democratic Primary:
DREAM defined the race, aligned the field, and turned what could have been a confusing ranking strategy into a popular mass message blanketing the the media, and the city itself
- By creating a clear and memorable message around anti-Cuomo voting strategy, DREAM created a rallying cry every candidate echoed and endorsed, preventing a repeat of 2021’s battle royale and enabling Zohran’s rise
- Brad Lander’s race-shaping cross-endorsement specifically cited DREAM, as did Michael Blake’s
- DREAM’s anti-Cuomo talking points resonated citywide, from candidates reciting them in debates, to targeted digital ads with staggering full-watch rates of 40%.
- By the end of the race, every candidate and org opposing Cuomo united behind the DREAM strategy and message
- 200+ media hits, including TV, radio, regular NY Times mentions, and a New Yorker profile
- Every single NYC newspaper of record printed the words “Evil Andrew” at least once.
- Sold $30,000+ of DREAM merch that popularized the message, with clothing worn by politicians, influencers, models, and celebrities, and stickers that covered the city
- From 0 to 5000+ Instagram followers, 1800+ Twitter followers, 800+ Bluesky followers, regularly ratioed Cuomo and his crews’ tweets
- Multiple viral videos spread DREAM strategy and popularized key anti-Cuomo talking points including the disgraced ex-governor defunding the MTA to support private ski resortsand using taxpayer money to sue for his victim’s gynecological records, which quickly found their way to candidates’ broadcast ads
- With just 1/340th the funding of Cuomo’s Fix The City SuperPAC, DREAM defined the opposition against the most expensive mayoral primary in history, and won.
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