Every politician you know donated to a bloke by the name of Dermot Smyth

Spend an hour sifting through politicians’ campaign finance filings and you’ll start to notice a pattern; everyone’s donating to Dermot 2025. 

That’s the campaign committee of Democrat Dermot Smyth, a longtime strategist for the United Federation of Teachers and apparently a top contender for most popular guy in New York City politics. 

Smyth is running, currently against one opponent, in the race to replace the term-limited conservative Democrat Bob Holden in his purple Queens district. Smyth isn’t breaking any fundraising records – he’s brought in a respectable $44,000, with over $9,000 eligible for public matching funds, according to the campaign. But the campaign has attracted support from a who’s who of elected officials and power players across the city. That includes nearly a dozen sitting City Council members such as Speaker Adrienne Adams, Justin Brannan, Shaun Abreu and Jim Gennaro; Rep. Grace Meng; state Democratic Party Chair Jay Jacobs; Assembly Members Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, Catalina Cruz and Micah Lasher and more. (Notably not among them, however, is Holden himself.)

Smyth’s fundraiser last month – hosted by UFT President Michael Mulgrew, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards – had the kind of billing that many of the longtime politicians currently running for mayor would likely envy. (Mayoral candidate Scott Stringer also donated to Smyth).

How does a first-time candidate launch with that much clout? It’s a function of 15 years as a go-to fixture in New York politics, supporters said, with sway over one of the city’s most powerful endorsements. Supporters might have consulted Smyth in early conversations when they were first thinking about running for office. Others may have sat across the table from Smyth in candidate interviews with the UFT. “If you want to get UFT’s endorsement, or you’re pursuing that and want to start the conversation, it starts with Dermot,” said political consultant Eugene Noh, who also donated to Smyth. 

But Noh said that Smyth has been a crucial resource on not only political matters but also policy issues for lawmakers and candidates. “He’s been this longtime – not just a labor advocate for his members of the UFT – but also just a font of information and wisdom on how we should approach public education in the city and in politics,” Noh said.

Smyth said he’s grateful for the support. “I’m looking to come in there not as a complete brand newbie, but somebody who has a lot of experience, a lot of relationships,” he said. “I’m looking to be a strong advocate for the district that I’m running for. And I think the relationships, the history, the longevity I have in this political space in New York City will serve this district well – and I hope, the city.”

Smyth, who was born to immigrant parents in Queens and raised in Ireland, became a middle school social studies teacher in Queens before working for the UFT in 2009. His accumulated knowledge of the inner workings of politics since then, one supporter said, gave him confidence about his ability to serve in the council. “For people like me who are leaving the City Council, we want to see new people step up to serve in the City Council, and Dermot is someone who has been around politics for a long time,” said Council Member Keith Powers, who also donated to Smyth.

But Smyth’s support and UFT background, while giving him an undeniable leg up in the district, doesn’t make the race a done deal. Holden has expressed a desire for his current chief of staff, Daniel Kurzyna, to run. Perennial candidate for office Jonathan Rinaldi is also running.