NEW YORK CITY — Gov. Andrew Cuomo has canceled his two World Series fundraisers at Citi Field where he planned to sell tickets for $5,500 apiece to line his “Cuomo 2018” coffers, his campaign announced Wednesday night.
The reversal followed a torrent of criticism that surfaced after DNAinfo New York broke the news on Monday of Cuomo’s plans. Good government groups, fans and a newspaper editorial board took the governor to task for seemingly “scalping” the coveted ducats.
“Given the overwhelming demand for tickets for Friday and Saturday nights' games, we have decided to reschedule this weekend’s events to a future date so that more tickets are available,” a Cuomo campaign spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday night in Kansas City, where Cuomo was rooting for the Mets.
“We will all be cheering on the Amazins this weekend as they make history and bring down the Royals," the statement reads. "Let’s go Mets!”
Two dozen tickets for each game were purchased from the Mets' organization. They were for a private skybox, insiders said. Their $5,500 price tag came with a pre-game reception where contributors could rub elbows with the governor before the Mets take on the Royals.
The Mets are currently down 0-2 in the best of seven games series.
Tickets to the Mets games are already at record highs on the resale market. It is the first time the Mets have appeared in the Fall Classic in 15 years. Cuomo's tickets have been returned to the Mets, his campaign spokesman said.
Cuomo’s 2018 fund already contains more than $12 million. Cuomo has said he plans to seek a third term as the state’s leader.
