DOORDASH INC.

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — With early voting already underway, Democratic candidates Ben Wetzler and Vanessa Aronson are cross-endorsing each other in the race to represent City Council District 4, they said on Wednesday. The two joined forces after a PAC called "New Yorkers For A Better Future 2025" funded by Trump-aligned donors Bill Ackman and Steven Roth, spent $29,437.41 to send a mailer to Democratic voters in the district encouraging them to vote for a slate of candidates in the race, including Faith Bondy, Rachel Storch and Virginia Maloney, and to not rank any other candidates. "Like myself, Ben shares the belief that elections should be decided by voters and not be sold to the highest bidder," Aronson said. "In a race where MAGA billionaires and DoorDash are trying to buy the District 4 seat, Ben and I have stood up for our voters and sounded the alarm." A PAC funded by Doordash called "Local Economies Forward NY" has spent $161,393.70 on Virginia Maloney's campaign on various mailers and ads, according to the New York City Campaign Finance Board. District 4 includes NoMad, Times Square, Stuyvesant Town, Peter Cooper Village, Murray Hill, Kips Bay, Turtle Bay, United Nations, and Upper East Side-Carnegie Hill. "Nonprofit advocacy organizations, labor unions, and local clubs regularly direct volunteers or spend money on behalf of candidates they feel align with their values," Wetzler said. "But in this election cycle — and in our race in particular — those efforts have been dwarfed by a more insidious form of election interference: spending from corporate and super-high-wealth donors. The impact of these efforts has been to drown out grassroots voices, confuse and overwhelm voters trying to learn the differences between candidates, and disguise the agendas of interest groups." The district seat is left open by the Councilmember Keith Powers, who is term-limited and now running for Manhattan borough president. "The targeted attack from an outside entity is disturbing and should be disturbing to everyone, whether they live in this district or not," State Senator Liz Krueger, who represents much of the Upper East Side, Roosevelt Island, and parts of Midtown, said in a press conference about the cross-endorsement. "I'm encouraging voters in District 4 to remain vigilant about the unprecedented outside influences in this campaign." Kreuger did not endorse either candidate, saying she doesn't make official endorsements during the press conference. New York City's primary election is on Tuesday, June 24. For questions and tips, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com. See related coverage:» Mehr auf patch.com

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