The three-way race for the 4th Congressional District’s House of Representatives seat has sparked big money fundraising efforts, with incumbent Carolyn McCarthy (D-Mineola) holding a sizable advantage over Republican Francis Becker and Conservative/Independent candidate Frank Scaturro.
McCarthy has raised more than $2 million since the 2010 elections, including $660,000 from political action committees, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics. Both corporate and labor PACs have lent their support to McCarthy’s campaign. The seven-term representative has claimed $302,000 from finance, insurance and real estate PACs, $102,000 from health industry PACs and $113,000 from labor committees.
Neither of her opponents have drawn significant PAC support; such a disparity is not uncommon, as PACs typically donate more heavily to incumbents.
McCarthy also has more than $1.3 million from individual contributions, including some donations from high-profile Gold Coast residents. James Watson, who is credited along with Francis Crick and Rosalind Franklin with discovering the molecular structure of DNA, contributed the maximum of $5,000 to her campaign. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, the internationally recognized genetics institute run by Watson for decades, has been the beneficiary of McCarthy’s advocacy. In 2006, for example, McCarthy secured a $1.5 million earmark for the laboratory’s cancer research.
Troubled investment manager Frank Mazzola also contributed to McCarthy’s campaign, donating $2,500 in June. Mazzola, the owner of Felix Investments, is under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission for allegedly defrauding investors in Facebook and other pre-IPO companies.
The McCarthy campaign defended the candidate’s contributions.
“Congresswoman McCarthy is proud that over 95 percent of her donors are grassroots activists who have given just $100 or less and support her because they know she’ll always fight for issues that they care about as women, seniors, American workers, middle class families and victims of violence, and she’s as interested as anyone in seeing the results of the complaint against Mr. Mazzola,” said Rasheida Smith, McCarthy’s campaign manager, in a statement.
McCarthy still has a large war chest, with more than $940,000 in the bank. Becker has $26,891 cash on hand and Scaturro has $20,631,
Becker, who is endorsed by the Nassau County GOP and won his primary race after a challenge from Scaturro, has raised $130,000, according to his October Federal Election Commission filing. His fundraising totals include a $14,700 donation that Becker has made to his own campaign in August.
Among Becker’s contributors is 17th District State Assemblyman Thomas McKevitt (R-East Meadow), who gave $1,000.
Though Becker was favored by the Nassau County Republican establishment during his contest against Scaturro, he has not received contributions from the county, state or national Republican party committees. His sole donation from a Republican group is a $100 contribution from the North Shore Republican Club.
Scaturro, who secured the Conservative and Independent lines on the ballot after his primary loss, has raised $174,000 for his campaign.
Nearly $160,000 of his total has come from individual donations, with another $13,000 off a personal loan he made to his campaign.
Though Scaturro’s campaign has been in the black during this election cycle, it is still heavily in debt from Scaturro’s 2010 campaign, which also saw the challenger losing to Becker in the Republican primary.
Scaturro loaned his campaign $222,000 for the 2010 race, which along with his loan from this year is still on the campaign’s ledgers.
He said that the sum represents a significant portion of his personal savings and that he will likely not recoup those costs this year.
“At this point I do not anticipate it being paid back, at least out of 2012 funds,” Scaturro said. “We’re spending all or virtually all of what we’re spending in 2012.”
Scaturro can at least count on the support of one local celebrity. Bestselling thriller writer Nelson DeMille, who lives in Garden City, gave $500 to Scaturro’s campaign.
The newly reconfigured 4th District includes New Hyde Park, Floral Park, the Willistons, Mineola, Garden City, Rockville Centre, Franklin Square, Westbury, East Meadow, Freeport, Oceanside, Long Beach, Wantagh, Bellmore and Merrick.
