Matching funds help candidates in close Assembly races

The release of Assembly candidates’ 32-day pre-election disclosures on Oct. 4 marks the first glimpse into campaign finances since this summer, showing just how close our races to watch with Election Day less than a month away. It’s clear that the state’s new public matching funds program, which matches small dollar donations at a rate that varies between 8-1 and 12-1, is having an effect on close races.

In some races, there is simply a lot of money being raised and spent on campaigns. Assembly Member Stacey Pheffer Amato, for instance, closed out the most recent reporting period with a whopping $384,000 in cash on hand, having started the period with over $296,000. Since the previous period ended July 11, she raked in nearly $212,000, of which about $175,000 came from public matching funds. The incumbent Democratic Assembly member, who represents southern Queens, now has a large financial cushion as she prepares for a rematch against Republican nominee Tom Sullivan, whom she defeated by a narrow 15 votes after a recount in 2022. Sullivan has much less cash on hand – finishing the period with about $82,000 – but both candidates spent big. Pheffer Amato dropped more than $124,000, while Sullivan spent about $109,000.

Plenty of dollars are also being thrown at the Assembly District 46 race in southern Brooklyn, with Republican incumbent Assembly Member Alec Brook-Krasny closing out the filing period with about $148,000 in cash on hand – roughly $25,000 less than his challenger, Democrat Chris McCreight. Both appear to be receiving significant financial backing locally, with Brook-Krasny receiving about $79,000 in public matching funds and McCreight getting about $82,500.

The state Democratic Party has buttressed funding for some individual campaigns, even when candidates’ own fundraising numbers might suggest their races are all but decided. Kwani O'Pharrow, a Democrat aiming to take the open seat left by Democratic former Assembly Member Kimberly Jean-Pierre on Long Island, only raised about $9,000 this reporting period, but a PAC associated with the state party footed the campaign’s $69,700 bill for consultant Mark Guma’s work, filings show. (O’Pharrow’s Republican opponent Joe Cardinale has received some $95,000 in matching funds, yet only spent $1.97 in the last period). Judy Griffin, the Democrat challenging incumbent Assembly Member Brian Curran in Assembly District 21 in Nassau County, raised more than $199,000 this fundraising period, but the state party PAC covered Guma’s $90,705 bill for her campaign and kicked in another $65,705.



https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2024/10/matching-funds-help-candidates-close-assembly-races/400331/?oref=csny-category-lander-top-story