DoorDash Spent $1.4 Million Trying to Stop Mamdani From Becoming Mayor. Now We Know Why.

Key Points:

• DoorDash spent approximately $1.4 million on a campaign to oppose Zohran Mamdani, who later oversaw a $131.5 million settlement with the company for underpaying 264,000 delivery workers in New York City.
• The company contributed $1 million to the super PAC Fix the City, which ran aggressive anti-Mamdani ads during the 2025 mayoral race, alongside supporting former Governor Andrew Cuomo through another super PAC.
• Mamdani, who campaigned on regulating delivery apps and protecting workers, successfully pushed for enforcement leading to the largest worker settlement in NYC history, highlighting the impact of wage theft and regulatory action.
• DoorDash admitted to underpaying or paying workers late but claimed the mistakes were unintentional, while the settlement requires the company to pay over $115 million in restitution and $16 million in penalties, plus ongoing compliance monitoring.
• This settlement follows previous legal issues for DoorDash in New York, including a $16.75 million settlement over misuse of tips and a $75,000 fine for violating the Fair Chance Act regarding hiring practices.