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Cash In Key Senate Races

January 18, 2008

Most of the Jan. 15 financial filings are in, which allows for an overview of the financial status of candidates and would-be candidates in some key districts as the Democrats and Republicans gear up for their big shown-down over control of the Senate.

Before I get started with that, however, what’s most important is how much money the minority and majority campaign committees have raised/spent/on-hand.

The Senate Republicans raised $343,451 for their campaign committee, spent $337,854 and have $3.4 million on hand. The biggest donor in this six-month period was PEF, which gave $44,200.

In the unlimited housekeeping account, the Senate GOP took in $799,093, with the largest csingle ontribution coming from GNYHA ($150,000).

The houskeeping report shows $31,181 in in-kind contributions, ranging from a lamp to golfballs to a TV, which must have been for a fundraising raffle.

The Senate Democrats raised $730,278, spent $471,284 and have $894,774 on hand in their reporting committee account. They also have $313,000 worth of unpaid debt.

A big donor of note: Tim Gill ($50,000), a Denver software entrepreneur whose foundation is focused on legalizing gay marriage at the state level nationwide.

The Democrats also took in $228,367 for their housekeeping committee ($45,000 was transferred from the reporting committee), spent $129,471 and have $155,703 on hand.

And now, on to the races!

NOTE: The focus here is on competitive Democrat vs. Republican districts, not districts where incumbents might be facing primaries, although that could come into play in the final countdown if minor parties cross endorse and crate three-way contests.

Also, I know there are likely to be more races than the ones listed here. Suggestions are welcome.

- 3rd SD

GOP Sen. Caesar Trunzo, the oldest member of the Senate majority is a target largely due to his age and near-constant speculation that he might not run again. He says he’s running, but he isn’t doing much fundraising.

He took in $26,875 over the past six months and spent $27,770. He has $205,058 on hand. One of his biggest expenses was a $4,500 transfer to the Islip Town Republican Committee, which I believe he still leads despite speculation that he would step down after big losses in the recent local elections.

Democrat Jimmy Dahroug, who unsuccessfully challenged Trunzo in 2006 and is making another go of it this fall, raised $51,271, spent $19,813 and has $65,446 on hand.

- 6th SD

Democratic Nassau County Legislator Dave Mejias, who lost a Congressional challenge to GOP Rep. Peter King in 2006, has relocated to Republican Sen. Kemp Hannon’s district and is eyeing a run against him this fall.

Mejias, who has yet to announce his candidacy, raised $33,700 and has it all on hand in a new committee formed for a yet-undetermined office.

Mejias better get cracking if he’s serious. Hannon raised $113,259, spent $38,075 and has $366,087. His contributions include $4,000 from SEIU/1199, $5,000 from the Health Care Providers PAC, $5,000 from the Emergency Medicine Pac and lots more medical money (he’s the Health Committee chairman).

- 7th SD

Democratic Sen. Craig Johnson, who won his seat, formerly held by GOP Sen. Mike Balboni (now with the Spitzer administration), in a February 2007 special election, so far has no Republican opponent. He raised $221,963, spent $87,162 and has $250,332 on hand.

Johnson still owes himself $50,000 from a loan he made to his campaign last year. His big donors include George Soros, Robert Soros and Melissa Schiff Soros ($9,500 each, the max for a general election), the Suffolk ($4,000) and Nassau county ($8,500) PBAs , the Nassau County Detectives Association ($9,000), and NARAL ($9,500).

- 11th SD

Republican incumbent Sen. Fank Padavan raised $42,920, spent $56,528 and has $115,200 on hand. That’s considerably less than his likely Democratic challenger, Councilman James Gennaro, has raised. He took in $243,901, spent $64,621 and has $251,042 on hand.

Despite the district’s big Democratic enrollment edge and Gennaro’s fundraising prowess, Padavan is very popular and not considered to be in any real danger by the Senate GOP.

- 15th SD

GOP Sen. Serphin Maltese, who tops the Democratic target list and came close to being toppled in ‘06, raised $108,581, spent $72,812 and has $89,694 on hand. His donors include: Consulant/PR guru George Arzt ($500), lobbyist Pat Lynch ($$250) and John and Margo Catsimatidis ($14,000).

Earlier this week, Azi detailed some of Maltese’s odder campaign expenditures.

Democratic Councilman Joe Addabbo, who hasn’t yet announced his challenge to Maltese, but is raising money for a state Senate campaign committee, raised $64,195, transferred $15,000 from his city committee, spent $22,035 and has $77,709 on hand.

Addabbo got money from the three Soroses, too, $9,500 apiece. He also received $1,000 from Sen. Jeff Klein’s campaign committee. The bulk of his spending - $15,000 - went to The Advance Group for consulting.

The man who almost knocked Maltese out of office, Albert Baldeo, insists he’s going to run again - with or without the Democratic Party’s blessing and help. He reported raising $43,420, loaned himself another $40,000 (he already owes himself $343,000), spent $595, and has $309,023 on hand.
- 35th SD

Democratic Sen. Andrea Stewart Cousins, arguably the GOP’s top target, (although whether Rudy Giuliani tops the ticket could be a deciding factor) raised $151,438, spent $62,825 and has $101,514 on hand. Some top donors include: Empire State Pride Agenda’s Alan Van Capelle ($8,000), and the Soros trio ($9,500 each).

Republican former Sen. Nick Spano, whom Stewart Cousins ousted on her second try in 2006, started the period $122,053 in the red and then spent $39,346 - $39,047 was a forgiven debt for his brother, Mike Spano’s failed Yonkers mayoral campaign in 2003, while raising nothing to put himself even deeper in debt ($161,346).

NYPIRG’s Bill Mahoney notes that Spano has a $300,000 CD with a local bank, the maturation of which would theoretically make his campaign instantly wealthier than Stewart Cousins’.

- 49th SD

I’m including this one even though incumbent Democratic Sen. Dave Valesky easily won re-election in 2006 and has no GOP opponent that I know of because this upstate district is evenly split, enrollment-wise, and provides an opportunity for the Republicans - if they can find a candidate and avoid a three-way race that splits Conservatives.

Valesky raised $90,418, spent $20,751 and has $128,420 on hand. He also got the Soros cash - $9,500 each, again.

- 56th SD

Democrat-turned-Republican Sen. Joe Robach is considered a possible target for the Democrats, although his potential challenger, former Sen. Rick Dollinger, isn’t yet fundraising. Robach raised $56,075, spent $20,944 and has $185,358 on hand.

Source: NY Daily News

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Written by NY Politics · Filed Under Campaign Finances, News 

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