Advocacy groups call on Gladd to return donation
Charter school backer gave $11K to state Senate candidate’s campaign
Two groups typically allied with state Senate Democrats are calling for Aaron Gladd —a Democratic state Senate candidate from Brunswick — to return a recent $11,000 campaign donation from Daniel Loeb, a hedge-fund billionaire whose racially charged comments about Senate Minority Leader Andrea Stewart-cousins sparked a firestorm last year.
The Times Union reached out to the advocacy groups, the Alliance for Quality Education and the Strong Economy for All Coalition, in light of a recent campaign filing, which showed that on Oct. 16, Gladd received a maximum $11,000 campaign contribution from Loeb, the chief executive of Third Point LLC, as well as a major financial supporter of the charter school movement.
In an August 2017 Facebook post, Loeb compared Stewartcousins unfavorably to the Ku Klux Klan, writing that the first African-american woman to lead the Senate Democrats had done more “damage to people of color than anyone who has ever donned a hood.”
Loeb was referring to the fact that Stewart-cousins has allied with the policy interests of the state teachers union, who have warred with the charter interests that Loeb supports, and that Loeb believes are a boon for poor minority students. Loeb quickly apologized for his comments about Stewart-cousins, who had previously called the Facebook post “disgusting.”
Gladd has been endorsed by New York State United Teachers
— the biggest financial supporter of Senate Democrats — but still received the financial backing from Loeb, who has otherwise donated heavily to help Senate Republicans keep their slim majority.
Leaders of the labor-backed Strong Economy for All Coalition and Alliance for Quality Education — who have both typically allied with Senate Democrats — called on Gladd to return Loeb’s campaign dollars.
“He should give the money back, plain and simple,” said Michael Kink, executive director of Strong Economy for All. “Dan Loeb’s money is toxic, no matter which party it’s aimed at.”
Billy Easton, executive director of the Alliance for Quality Education, agreed, adding that Gladd should “return the money, no ifs, ands or buts.”
A spokesman for NYSUT did not immediately respond to a request for comment on their endorsed candidate’s acceptance of the donation.
“I’m not returning the money, and the only thing that is toxic is Albany,” Gladd told the Times Union on Monday. “I’m trying to change that.”
In an interview, Gladd said he did not believe his teacher’s union allies, who are doorknocking for his campaign, would oppose his taking Loeb’s contribution.
“I think what they want is to win this seat with a good, upstate Democrat,” Gladd said.
Gladd is running for the seat being vacated by Republican state Sen. Kathy Marchione in a somewhat rightleaning district. Still, he has been raising large amounts of money — nearly $500,000.
Gladd, a U.S. Army combat veteran, said that Loeb had donated to his campaign because they saw eye-to-eye on “bail reform” issues.
“People are multi-faceted — it’s not just one issue,” Gladd said.
Gladd is running against Republican Daphne Jordan, a Halfmoon Town Board member since 2014 and Marchione’s legislative director.
Though Gladd is a former policy staffer for Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who has gotten ample financial support in the past from Loeb, Gladd said the governor had not been helping him raise campaign contributions, including from Loeb. Cuomo has, however, endorsed Gladd.
In attacks on the candidate, Senate Republicans have been playing up Gladd’s connections to the Democratic governor.
Gladd has not gotten extensive financial help from state Senate Democrats, who have prioritized other races. The conference’s campaign arm has spent about $51,000 supporting Gladd, according to its newest campaign filing.
Besides the unusual donation to the Senate Democratic candidate, Loeb has also made campaign donations in New York this year to Senate Republican allies: $11,000 to Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan; $11,000 to Republican state Sen. George Amedore; $107,000 to the Senate GOP campaign arm; and $1,150,000 to two pro-charter independent spending groups, which have in the past given extensive outside help to Senate Republicans.