Republican state Sen. Jack Martins has a nearly $350,000 edge over Democrat Tom Suozzi going into their likely 3rd Congressional District matchup, federal campaign finance filings show.
Martins closed the year’s second three-month fundraising period with $409,995 in his campaign coffers to former Nassau County Executive Suozzi’s $162,063.
Suozzi took in more cash between April 1 and June 30, raising about $404,000 to Martins’ $238,028. But he outspent Martins by more than $567,000 as he fought off four other Democrats in the June 28 primary, which he won with about 35 percent of the vote.
“We are in great position to win in November,” said E. O’Brien Murray, Martins’ senior campaign strategist, in an email. “Support from voters and donors across Nassau, Suffolk and Queens has been amazing. The national support has been terrific as well.”
The filings indicate support for Martins from national Republican groups and figures hoping to capture prominent Democratic Rep. Steve Israel’s North Shore district stretching from Whitestone, Queens, to Kings Park in Suffolk County.
Martins received $82,750 in the second quarter from political action committees and other candidates with addresses in 12 states and the District of Columbia, including House Speaker Paul Ryan’s Prosperity Action, Inc., and the Republican Main Street PAC, which supports Republicans in “swing districts,” according to its website.
A committee called the Martins Zeldin Victory Fund was also established in June to support Martins and Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley). The joint fund, which has not yet raised any money, will also give to the New York Republican Federal Campaign Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee, according to Federal Election Commission records.
The National Republican Campaign Committee has also booked $1.1 million in TV ads to run from September through the Nov. 8 election.
About $119,000 of Suozzi’s contributions came after June 9, the last deadline for campaign finance filings before the Democratic primary.
Some $24,750 of that came from other candidates and political action committees, including the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Maryland), with whom Suozzi appeared Tuesday in Great Neck. Suozzi received another $4,750 from political commitees between April 1 and June 9.
“Even with a competitive primary, voters recognized my proven record of fighting powerful interests and standing up to the status quo to get things done,” said Suozzi.
Suozzi’s campaign spent heavily on print mailings between April and June, paying more than $256,000 to the Parkside Group, a Manhattan consulting firm. It has also advised campaigns for state Assemblyman Ron Kim and state Sen. Tony Avella — who both endorsed Suozzi — as well as U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley, the Queens County Democratic Committee chairman.
Other notable Suozzi donors include fashion designer Steve Madden and lawyer Daniel P. Deegan, a prolific Democratic donor and partner in the Forchelli, Curto, Deegan, Schwartz, Mineo & Terrana law firm.
Martins has so far fought off Glen Cove financial investigator Philip “Flip” Pidot’s legal challenges to force a Republican primary after the state Board of Elections ruled he lacked enough signatures from voters to make the June 28 ballot.
Records show Martins’ campaign paid $5,000 to Sinnreich, Kosakoff & Messina, the law firm that represented Martins in state court when Pidot challenged the elections board ruling. Pidot has since taken the case to federal and state appellate courts.
Pidot closed the second quarter with about $27,700 in his war chest, records show. His campaign paid $17,500 to attorney John Sweeney, who represented him in state court. The firm Stroock & Stroock & Lavan now represents him in the appellate and federal cases.
Sweeney also donated $5,000 worth of legal services to Pidot’s campaign, records show.
“Flip Pidot showed the ability to raise money right off the bat, and additional donors are waiting until the courts choose a new date for the primary. ” Pidot spokesman Bill O’Reilly said in a statement.
