A million!
Hefty cash haul for Cuomo effort to oust House GOPers
ALBANY — Gov. Cuomo’s effort to target at least six New York House Republicans in 2018 has already raised about a million bucks, a source tied to the effort said.
The money flowed in the last month to the state Democratic Party, which the effort is being run through, the source said.
The bulk of the donations, which will be disclosed Monday in the state party’s campaign filing, came from unions like the ones representing health care and hotel and motel workers, which gave $250,000 each, and the American Federation of Teachers, which gave $100,000.
The state Nurses Association chipped in another $100,000, the source said.
In addition, he said, there have been big-money commitments from prominent national Democratic donors that will not show up in Monday’s filing.
“Gov. Cuomo is putting his money where his mouth is and is leading the way here in New York,” said Neal Kwatra, a political consultant who is heading the effort.
With House Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi by his side, Cuomo (photo inset) in June announced the “New York Fights Back” campaign designed to flip the House to the Democrats by targeting New York Republicans.
The six are Lee Zeldin (Suffolk County), John Faso (Columbia County), Elise Stefanik (Essex County in the Adirondacks), Claudia Tenney (Oneida County), Tom Reed (Steuben County in the Southern Tier) and Chris Collins (Erie County).
“When Andrew Cuomo isn’t pushing his $2.3 billion tax increase on counties, he’s teaming up with Nancy Pelosi to collect checks from far-left special interest groups,” said National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Chris Martin, referring to a tax Cuomo threatened if Faso and Collins are successful in forcing the state to take over the local costs of Medicaid.
“Their failed liberal records will be front and center in every competitive New York House race in 2018,” Martin said.
lll With next year’s battle for control of the state Senate fast approaching, the Republicans on Monday will report having more than twice as much campaign money on hand than the chamber’s mainline Democrats.
Senate Republicans in their campaign finance disclosure filings due Monday will report having nearly $1.4 million cash on hand combined in their two state campaign accounts after having raised $1.85 million the past six months. That’s about a quarter of a million ahead of what the GOP pulled in at the same point of the last election cycle.
“Our strong fund-raising totals show we are going to win overwhelming victories next year and grow our majority for the future,” said Senate GOP spokesman Scott Reif. The Senate Democrats, meanwhile, will report having raised more than $700,000 combined for their two campaign accounts over the past six months. The Dems will
have just under $600,000 on hand — about the same as in July filings in previous nonelection years. lll
As he prepares to seek reelection to a third term next year, state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman already has set a personal fund-raising record.
Schneiderman on Monday will report having $7.5 million in campaign cash on hand, the most he’s ever had, a source said. By comparison, the AG had $4.2 million on hand at the same point in the 2014 election cycle.
Schneiderman raised $1.6 million over the past six months, the source said.
“If Cuomo’s national ambitions create a vacancy, people are looking to Eric as the next governor and want to be on the team early,” said one insider.
So far, no Republican has stepped forward to challenge Schneiderman.