Here's Where Hell's Kitchen Has Spent Money In The 2021 Elections

HELL'S KITCHEN, NY — With just under four months to go before the city primary elections in June, a new map shows where New Yorkers are donating money — and Hell's Kitchen residents have already spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on their preferred candidates.

The interactive map, released last week by the city's Campaign Finance Board and the Center for Urban Research at the CUNY Graduate Center, shows contributions for all of this year's races, including mayor, comptroller, city council and borough president.

While Hell's Kitchen residents have not spent as heavily as people in the neighboring Upper West Side and Chelsea, they have still doled out significant sums. People have donated more than $215,000 in the area roughly bounded by 58th and 38th streets to the north and south, and Eighth Avenue and the Hudson River to the east and west.

Here are more insights from the maps, which show money raised through Jan. 15:

Worldwide Plaza spends heavily

The data can be broken down even further, including by election district, which shows a nearly block-level view of residents' donations.

Two clusters emerge as Hell's Kitchen's highest-spending. One is a two-block stretch between West 49th and 50th streets and 10th and eight avenues — an area that includes the Worldwide Plaza condominium complex. Residents there have given more than $27,000 to candidates.

A few blocks south, a two-block area between West 43rd and 45th streets and 10th and Ninth avenues has contributed even more — upwards of $28,000.

Who Hell's Kitchen backs for mayor

Broken down by candidate, the map shows which contenders for the mayor's office are enjoying Hell's Kitchen's support.

The neighborhood's strongest fundraiser so far has been Ray McGuire, the Wall Street-backed former finance executive. (Andrew Yang, a Hell's Kitchen resident who announced his campaign last month, filed too late to appear in this round of campaign data.)

Here are the top five candidates by their fundraising totals in Hell's Kitchen:

1. Ray McGuire: $46,720
2. Scott Stringer: $15,274
3. Eric Adams: $7,175
4. Shaun Donovan: $6,270
5. Maya Wiley: $4,609

Hell's Kitchen spends less in City Council race

In the race to succeed Corey Johnson in the District 3 City Council race, residents of Hell's Kitchen have spent less than those in Chelsea and the West Village, which the district also covers.

Hell's Kitchen residents have spent about $23,500 on District 3 candidates, compared to more than $45,000 in the Chelsea and Hudson Yards areas, and $29,593 in the West Village. The average donation amount by Hell's Kitchen residents, $61, is likewise lower.

Erik Bottcher has raised the most money in Hell's Kitchen of the District 3 candidates — about $8,100 — but Aleta LaFargue is not far behind at around $7,200.

Hoylman leads in borough president race

In an unsurprising finding, State Sen. Brad Hoylman, who has represented the Hell's Kitchen area since 2013, has raised the most money in the neighborhood of the six major candidates for Manhattan Borough President.

Hoylman has raised about $8,000 in the neighborhood, while City Councilmember Mark Levine, who has raised the most money overall in the race to succeed Gale Brewer, comes in second at $1,705.

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