By: Ariella Haviv

Mayor Eric Adams is poised to capitalize on newfound momentum in his re-election campaign, as an exclusive fundraiser this weekend in the Hamptons signals a dramatic shift in political and financial allegiances following former Governor Andrew Cuomo’s stunning primary defeat. As Page Six of The New York Post first reported, a glittering roster of power brokers will converge at the Bridgehampton estate of Maria and Kenneth Fishel on Saturday for an intimate and influential evening rallying behind Adams’ bid to retain control of City Hall.

Mayor Eric Adams getting ritzy Hamptons fundraiser as people line up with ‘oodles of cash’ after Mamdani win: sources https://t.co/y8suRnhhE6 pic.twitter.com/H8V3OsyA8f

— Page Six (@PageSix) July 2, 2025

According to an invitation obtained by Page Six, the Adams event will be co-hosted by real estate luminaries and Republican mainstays John and Margo Catsimatidis, developer Jared Epstein and his wife Mindy, and PR power couple Todd and Liz Shapiro. The gathering is being billed not merely as a fundraiser, but as a consolidation of elite support for a mayor many see as the last bulwark against a surging socialist insurgency led by Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani — who shocked the Democratic establishment by toppling Cuomo in the primary.

“Since Cuomo lost, people are coming to Adams with oodles of cash,” one enthusiastic Adams backer told Page Six. “People are afraid of this guy [Mamdani], and they don’t want Times Square to become Red Square.”

The sudden flow of political donations into the Adams campaign speaks volumes about a widespread sense of urgency among New York’s business class and moderate Democrats, who now see Mamdani, a self-proclaimed democratic socialist and member of the Democratic Socialists of America, as a real and immediate threat to the city’s fiscal and civic stability.

As the Page Six report noted, Cuomo’s decision not to withdraw his name from the general election ballot has only heightened the atmosphere of uncertainty. “People worry what he’s really doing — or not doing,” a source told Page Six. “Unions are bailing out and running away. Donors are calling [the Adams campaign] every day, wanting to give him money.”

Cuomo, who according to the report on Page Six was spotted in the Hamptons after his primary loss with an unnamed female companion and later at a private gathering hosted by D.C. insider Patricia Duff, has remained notably silent on his post-primary plans. His absence from the campaign trail has further fueled speculation about whether his candidacy will linger as a spoiler or evaporate altogether.

Mayor Eric Adams gets Hamptons fundraiser https://t.co/TbHjksqca8 pic.twitter.com/06Y0mylJOY

— Buzz Nova (@BuzzNova163093) July 2, 2025

In a remarkable twist, Adams received unexpected support this week from President Donald Trump, who praised the mayor’s resilience and indirectly referenced the Justice Department’s quiet dismissal of Adams’ federal corruption investigation.

“I helped him out a little bit,” Trump said, as reported by Page Six. “He had a problem, and he was unfairly hurt over this question. That was a Biden indictment. I said, ‘Don’t feel bad. I got indicted five times.’”

Both Adams and Trump have publicly argued that the corruption charges were politically motivated — retaliation, they contend, for Adams’ sharp criticism of the Biden administration’s immigration and border policies.

In an exclusive comment to Page Six, Mayor Adams articulated the stakes of the race in no uncertain terms: “Since Andrew Cuomo lost the primary and chose not to actively campaign, there’s been a noticeable shift in energy — particularly from New Yorkers. The energy is coming all over, from Brownsville to the Hamptons.”

Citing fears over the Mamdani agenda, Adams continued: “People are deeply concerned. They see what’s coming if a radical takes over City Hall: massive tax hikes, a defunded police department, and policies that will tank property values and push families and businesses out of New York.”

Adams, who has branded himself as the mayor of the working class and public safety, emphasized the cross-party appeal he’s garnering in light of the city’s political realignment: “I’m hearing from longtime Democrats, independents, and Republicans alike — people who are crossing party lines because they understand what’s at stake. They’re worried about public safety, about their neighborhoods, about their kids’ future.”

ERIC ADAMS: “This is a city NOT of socialism. I have been to socialist countries”

“There is no dignity in someone giving you everything for free. There is dignity in giving you a job so you can provide for your family.”

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

NO to socialism

YES to freedom and prosperity pic.twitter.com/d1RY9BYtoz

— Daniel Di Martino 🇺🇸🇻🇪 (@DanielDiMartino) June 26, 2025

He further told Page Six: “We are raising significant funds from donors who care about keeping New York safe, strong, and economically sound. This race is not about left or right — it’s about common sense versus chaos.”

Saturday’s event at the Fishels’ Bridgehampton estate will serve as the unofficial opening act of Adams’ re-election campaign. The Fishels, known for their society-hosting credentials and elite fundraising events — including the Center for Family Services, Palm Beach County’s high-profile “Old Bags Luncheon” — have now become crucial players in mobilizing the kind of financial firepower Adams will need to stave off a challenge from the left.

As Page Six reported, the guest list includes figures known as much for their political influence as their real estate portfolios and philanthropic reach. The Catsimatidises, longtime GOP donors with deep New York ties, have thrown their weight behind Adams as a stabilizing figure in an increasingly volatile political environment.

The post-primary political calculus is shifting rapidly. Adams’ resurgence in the polls, his ability to attract bipartisan donor support, and his campaign’s aggressive pivot toward moderation and economic realism all signal a strategy designed to capitalize on centrist fatigue with progressive politics.

Yet the mayor is not merely relying on fear of socialism to win hearts and wallets. As he told Page Six, “This is a time for experience not an experiment. I will always stand with the working families, the police officers, the small business owners, and everyone who still believes New York’s best days are ahead.”

Whether that message will resonate across all five boroughs in November remains to be seen. But as the political elite decamps to the Hamptons this weekend, one thing is clear: Eric Adams is no longer playing defense. And with Cuomo wounded and Mamdani surging, he may be the only candidate standing between New York City and one of the most radical political experiments in its modern history.

As Page Six put it succinctly: “Adams is, once again, the most important man in New York City.”