Rehan Azhar Helped Raise $550K in 24 Hours to Support Zohran Mamdani’s Historic NYC Mayoral Campaign

The Entrepreneur’s Last-Minute Fundraising Blitz Helped Power Progressive’s Stunning Primary Victory 

When Rehan Azhar saw Zohran Mamdani’s odds plummet on Polymarket just one week before New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary, he knew money was unfortunately becoming the deciding factor in what should have been a race about ideas. What happened next was a masterclass in rapid political mobilization that helped fuel one of the most stunning upsets in modern New York politics. 

Mamdani won the Democratic primary with 56% of the vote after ranked-choice tabulation, defeating powerful former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in a victory that sent shockwaves through the Democratic establishment. The 33-year-old democratic socialist’s path to the nomination included a crucial moment when Bloomberg’s $5+ million contribution to Cuomo’s super PAC caused Mamdani’s betting odds to crash from 40% to just 13% on Polymarket. 

The Moment Everything Changed 

Azhar, co-founder of a healthcare services company who conducted a majority recap of the healthcare company in late 2023, had been following Mamdani since early 2025. “I started Zohran on social media and I could tell he was a once-in-a-generation talent,” Azhar explained. “There was something special both with his personality, with his social content, with his branding, and with the comments and the passion of those comments that I hadn’t seen before.” 

The turning point came during a walk with a fellow entrepreneur, founder of a CPG company, when they witnessed Mamdani’s precipitous drop in the prediction markets. “The week before the election, Bloomberg contributed five+ million to Andrew Cuomo’s pack and Mamdani on Poly Market dropped to 12-13% from 40%,” Azhar recalled.  

A 24-Hour Fundraising Sprint 

What followed was an unprecedented display of grassroots mobilization. Azhar contacted the Mamdani super PAC on Wednesday, one week before the election, with an ambitious goal. “I’m like, you know what? I’m going to spend my day texting and calling everyone I know. I don’t really ask for favors, but this is a moment in time to do so,” he said. 

The PAC gave him until Thursday at noon – roughly 24 hours – to raise what he could. The constraint was real: beyond that deadline, there wouldn’t be enough time to efficiently spend any additional funds before Election Day. 

“I blasted my contacts, I called all of them and I ended up raising, including with my own contributions, to $550,000 in 24 hours,” Azhar revealed. “And that was 40% of the total PAC.  

The Personal Investment 

Azhar’s personal contribution became the largest single donation to the super PAC, but the path to the total figure wasn’t straightforward. “When I tried to get some of my friends to donate, they’re like, okay, I’ll donate this much if you donate this much more. And so they kind of pushed me to give more if they were going to give,” he explained. 

The matching dynamic worked. Azhar secured money from several and rallied his ownnetwork to the cause. For someone who had never contributed to political endeavors before, the scale was remarkable. Beyond Financial Calculations 

For Azhar, the decision to support Mamdani transcended typical political calculations. As a Muslim entrepreneur, he saw something unprecedented in Mamdani’s candidacy. “Mamdani, he’s Muslim. I’m Muslim. And the type of politics he stands is what I stand for.. I’ve never seen someone like me run for office and be actually successful,” he said. 

More importantly, Azhar admired how Mamdani handled his identity. “He was unapologetic about his culture and his background. He didn’t shy away from it, but he also didn’t really dive into identity politics or lead with ‘I’m the first Muslim candidate. I’m the first South Asian candidate..’ He didn’t say that. He campaigned primarily on affordability and a mayor free from corruption and then he said, also, “I am these things, and I really admired that.” 

A Broader Movement 

The financial intervention came at a critical juncture. Azhar’s grassroots mobilization provided the PAC infrastructure needed to capitalize on reignited momentum. 

“I didn’t want money to be a reason that he didn’t win,” Azhar reflected. “And I’m like, those of us fortunate enough with wealth, e should use it as a tool for the betterment of society. I am always looking for high impact areas to give to, and with Mamdani that ROI was immense. “ 

The irony wasn’t lost on him that wealthy donors were supporting a candidate whose platform included taxing the rich. “I mean, he represents taxing the wealthy. And so we weren’t standing to benefit personally by any means. But he was campaigning on a better NYC for everyone, and that is something everyone should get behind.” 

The Aftermath 

Mamdani’s victory has created ripple effects far beyond New York City, with his success viewed as part of a broader progressive challenge to Democratic Party establishment politics following the party’s 2024 election losses. The win has also drawn immediate attention from President Trump, who has made inflammatory comments about Mamdani and threatened arrest if he interferes with ICE operations as mayor. 

For Azhar, the investment appears to have paid dividends beyond the financial. “I just felt like something was different with this guy. Even before the election. I don’t think many people thought he would win, but I just had this conviction in his ability to pull it off, and who knows if the money actually did anything. I think winning by the big margin that he did is beneficial. It shows that there’s a lot of support and there’s a mandate out there, but it really kind of rocketed him to national and international limelight. So it’s money well spent in my opinion.” 

The 24-hour fundraising blitz represents more than just political activism – it’s a case study in how quickly political momentum can shift in the modern era, and how committed individuals can still make decisive differences in democratic processes. As Mamdani heads into the November general election as the heavy favorite in the heavily Democratic city, the coalition that Azhar helped mobilize may prove crucial to turning a primary upset into a mayoral victory.