Dan Goldman beats Brad Lander in first-quarter fundraising race for NY congressional seat

Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News on Apr 3, 2026

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NEW YORK — U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman dramatically outpaced challenger Brad Lander in the first-quarter fundraising race for their congressional Democratic primary dogfight.

Goldman, a two-term incumbent, says he raked in $2.2 million in the first three months of the year, while Lander, the progressive former controller and mayoral candidate, reports a haul of $750,000 during the same period that ended last Tuesday.

Lander sought to make the best of the lower figure Friday by boasting that he relies on small-dollar grassroots donors while accusing Goldman of being in the pocket of big-money special interest groups like the America Israel Political Action Committee, or AIPAC.

“I’m deeply grateful for the grassroots support of our volunteers and donors, who are taking a stand and showing that our district can’t be bought,” Lander said in a statement.

Lander, the former controller and mayoral candidate, bragged that he scored donations from 7,000 individuals in Q1, with 90% under $100. He’s raised $1.4 million with 11,000 donors since launching his campaign in December, suggesting the pace has slowed a bit.

Goldman has about $1.5 million cash on hand while Lander has $650,000. Goldman’s campaign didn’t immediately respond to requests for details about the number of donors to his campaign or comment about his fundraising windfall.

The money race unfolds as the two campaigns snipe over dueling charges of “dark money” in the race for the district spanning lower Manhattan and a chunk of brownstone Brooklyn.

Lander has the endorsement of Mayor Mamdani and many progressive groups while Goldman is backed by House Majority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Gov. Kathy Hochul along with other party establishment figures.

Lander started the squabble last week by calling on Goldman to sign what he called a “People’s Pledge” to reject attack ads funded by outside super PACs, which are often bankrolled by murky billionaires and lobbyists like AIPAC.

Goldman’s campaign hit back at Lander for actively seeking the backing of well-funded left-leaning groups like the Working Families Party and Indivisible.

Goldman, who eked out a win in a crowded primary for what was then a new district in 2022, has demanded seven debates with Lander, which the challenger says he’s considering. Some insiders believe Goldman’s push for debates suggests he is trailing because incumbents usually want fewer head-to-head match-ups, especially with primary rivals.

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