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First on FOX: New York City’s democratic socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s campaign has handed out millions to a leading media strategist company that helps shape the media buying strategy for former President Barack Obama’s campaign.
Over the past few months, the Mamdani team has paid more than $3 million to Los Angeles-based Debra Shomer Media Group for spending explained for television ads, television production and digital ads, according to campaign finance records.
According to her website Bio, Schommer has over 30 years of experience in the field of media planning and purchasing and lists herself as the previous director of AKPD messaging and media planning and purchasing.
The Schommer website promotes her work as managing and forming media strategies for political campaigns, including President Obama, who took office in 2020 and former Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
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The campaign of New York City’s democratic socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has handed out millions of people to the leading strategists who helped with Obama’s campaign. (Getty)
“Since the launch of Axelrod and Associates (who later formed the AKPD Message and Media), as Director of Media Planning and Purchase, Debra has built the department, leading, managing, and managing media strategies for Democratic candidates, as well as reading the president (including Obama and Butaijee), independent prosecution and advocacy campaign.
“She confirmed that she counted every dollar we spent,” writes Axelrod in favor of Schommer’s work. “She’s the best!”
Schommer’s archived BIOS from 2009 to 2015 on the AKPD website listed her as the Director of Media Planning/Purchase, and later served as Vice President of Media Planning, describing her as “a experienced and skilled professional,” saying she has “a perfect reputation in the media community and is known for her passion and commitment to politics.”
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Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani will speak at the Primary Party in New York on June 25th, 2025. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
In addition to Plouffe and Axelrod, the archived AKPD website says former President Joe Biden and Democrat Strategist Mike Donilon were partners with the company.
Reports from 2008 show that AKPD has received more than $2 million from the Obama Campaign since 2005, playing a useful role in Obama’s marketing. AKPD will later create a headline after it was revealed to be one of two companies that sell Obamacare Push, “working on $24 million ads.”
“Mamdani and his team will throw it at millions of voters to escape his position,” Victore Executive VP Matt Gorman told Fox News Digital. “Consultants can work incredible ways, but they are not miraculous workers. Communists are still communists.”
In addition to Mamdani, Fox News Digital Review found that Jamal Bowman and Kori Bush lost in the Democratic primary last year when her company created a TV ad for the left “team” rep. According to the FEC website, both former Lawmakers spoke out about police refunds, with other radical proposals, such as compensation, and their campaigns handing out hundreds of thousands of dollars to Schommer’s company.
The surge in Mamdani to the frontlines of the political landscape sparked a division within the Democratic Party between moderates who opposed his socialist platform and the progressive wing led by Democrats of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who recognized Mandani.
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Before speaking to supporters of Ellie, Pennsylvania on April 18, 2008, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama spoke to David Axelrod.
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In the wake of Mamdani’s major victory last month, the American Democrat Socialists (DSA) emphasized that “the movement is bigger than one of the elections, cities or organizations.”
“We are encouraging all people inspired by the Zohran campaign to join local DSA or YDSA branches and ensure that Zohran and DSA continue to fight to create a future worthy of the nation’s future,” they added in a statement.
Fast forward to Wednesday, DSA leaders appear to be running major challengers against Jeffries and other House Democrats, with districts in New York City, including Rep. Richie Torres, Jerry Nadler, Dan Goldman and Yvette Clark.
But Democrat strategist Andre Richardson, Jeffries’ political adviser, was pushed back hard and told CNN he would “teach” Mamdani’s “gentlemen’s team” “to teach him” a “hard lesson on June 23, 2026.”
Fox News Digital has contacted the Axelrod, Schommer and Mamdani campaigns.
Paul Steinhauser of Fox News contributed to this report.
Andrew Mark Miller is a Fox News reporter. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email him with tips to Andrewmark.miller@fox.com.
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