While it’s not unusual for campaigns to expect supporters to buy their own drinks, Mamdani’s opponents were more generous. Cuomo’s viewing party at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in Midtown Manhattan featured an open bar, even as his campaign faced a somber atmosphere following defeat.
Sliwa’s team, meanwhile, offered two free drink tickets per guest at Arte Café, an upscale Italian restaurant on the Upper West Side. Waiters circulated with free plates of fried calamari, meatballs, chicken parmesan, and shrimp before supporters opened their own wallets later in the night. Continue reading…