Last-Minute Cash Floods Primary

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The New York Sun

ALBANY – Groups supporting Stephen Kaufman of the Bronx for the state Senate collected more than $150,000 in last-minute contributions, fueling a flurry of advertising in the state’s hardest-fought primary election.


Friends of Kaufman reported collecting $50,900 over the past week, including $13,300 from the state Medical Society, $5,400 from the teachers’ union, and $5,000 from the Pipe Trades Political Action Committee, according to reports posted on the Web site of the state Board of Elections.


A separate fund-raising group supporting Mr. Kaufman, New York Forward, pulled in another $112,100, including $54,000 from the Service Employees International Union and $10,000 each from the state’s largest health insurance company, Wellchoice, and the union for garment workers, UNITE.


Mr. Kaufman’s leading opponent, Jeffrey Klein, who began the race with more than $1 million he had previously raised to run for attorney general, did not report any donations since the close of the last regular reporting period on September 3.


The influx of cash from prominent interest groups underlines the significance of the contest in the 34th District, straddling the Bronx and Westchester, which is the most important skirmish in a larger battle for control of the state Senate.


Although Mr. Kaufman has been a Democrat throughout his career, he is running with the support of the Republican majority leader of the Senate, Joseph Bruno, and is expected to join the GOP if elected.


This would help shore up Mr. Bruno’s 37-24 advantage in the upper house, which lost one member when the previous senator from the 34th District, Guy Velella, pleaded guilty to bribery-related charges in May.


In today’s primary, Mr. Kaufman is running against Mr. Klein for the Democratic nomination, and against an enrolled Republican, John Fleming, for the Republican and Conservative nominations.


“It makes sense they’re doing this,” said Mr. Klein’s campaign director, Deirdre Schifeling. “It’s a typical Republican tactic – a last-minute, under the-radar rush because they know he’s in trouble.”


A spokesman for Mr. Kaufman, John Gallagher, said the campaign was working hard to overcome Mr. Klein’s dollar advantage.


“When somebody starts out with a million two, and you’re working for an organization that starts out with under $100,000, by definition that makes you an underdog,” Mr. Gallagher said.


The donations in support of Mr. Kaufman were part of almost $380,000 in last-minute cash flowing to primary candidates.


Most of it came from interest groups and political insiders, and nearly all of it went to incumbents and other candidates running with the support of the legislative leadership.


Assemblyman David Sidikman of Nassau County, for example, collected $35,450 to help with his hard-fought primary against challenger Charles Lavine.


Assemblyman John LaVelle of Staten Island gathered $25,600 for a battle against fellow Democrat Charles McLean.


One exception to the rule is a candidate from Flushing seeking to become the first Asian-American elected to the Assembly, Jimmy Meng, who raised $20,716 in last-minute contributions for his Democratic primary against the incumbent, Barry Grodenchik. Mr. Grodenchik, by contrast, collected $13,000.


The biggest contributors at the close of the primary were the various branches of SEIU, which gave a total of $59,400 to various candidates, the Medical Society at $21,025, and New York State United Teachers at $20,000.


The New York Sun

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