Governor adds $4M to coffers
He has $16.8 million in campaign war chest
The COVID-19 pandemic has slowed the pace of political fundraising in New York, yet Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo still raised more than $4 million over the past six months, according to recently released campaign filings.
Cuomo, a prolific fundraiser who is poised to run for a fourth term in 2022, has $16.8 million in cash on hand — a war chest that could scare away potential rivals. Cuomo’s two biggest single donations over the past six months both came on July 16: $69,700 from Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google, and Larry Robbins, a New York City hedge fund manager and philanthropist.
Cuomo gained national attention for his televised daily briefings in the midst of the pandemic and also received an unusual number of small-dollar donations from people in New York around the country.
The state Republican Party, hoping to mount a challenge to Cuomo in 2022, reported having $211,000 in its campaign account. Its housekeeping account, which funds party operations, is down to about $19,000. The party also has an outstanding $103,000 bank loan to pay off.
State Senate Republicans, who now face a Democratic supermajority in the chamber after further losses in the 2020 elections, have $240,000 in cash on hand in their campaign account and $292,000 in their housekeeping account.
Senate Democrats, who for years faced a fundraising deficit when Republicans held the majority, have had a hefty fundraising advantage after gaining the majority in 2018. The party is low on cash after the 2020 elections, reporting $273,000 in its housekeeping account and $20,000 in its campaign account, while owing $335,000 to the Parkside Group, the conference’s main campaign consultant. The single biggest donation to the DSCC’S housekeeping account in the past six months was $125,000 from PHRMA, a national trade group representing the pharmaceutical industry.
PHRMA also gave one of the largest single donations — $45,000 — to the housekeeping account of the Assembly Democrats. The biggest donation to the Assembly Democrats’ housekeeping account was $50,000 given by the Greater New York Hospital Association.
Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, reported raising $350,000 and has $734,000 in cash on hand. The other statewide Democratic office holder, Comptroller Tom Dinapolil, raised $423,000 and has $967,000 in his campaign fund. Like Cuomo, no clear Democratic or Republican challengers to James or Dinapoli in 2022 have emerged.