Long Island campaign donors shower biggest bucks on Hillary Clinton

WASHINGTON -- Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton and Republican Jeb Bush have scooped up the biggest shares of contributions to presidential campaigns from New York and Long Island's political donors so far this year, campaign finance reports filed in the past week show.

As could be expected in a state as Democratic as New York, Clinton dominated the presidential field by raising $7.4 million -- more from individual New Yorkers for her second bid for the White House than anyone else.

Clinton, a Chappaqua resident and former New York senator and first lady, drew $7 of every $10 donated to a presidential campaign of either party in New York State through June 30, and more than $6 of every $10 from Long Island.

"The base of supporters that she has, both grassroots and financial, are genuinely enthusiastic about her run," said Jay Jacobs, the Nassau County Democratic Committee chairman.

Bush, the former Florida governor and brother and son of previous presidents, raised $1.3 million statewide and $131,450 on the Island, a tenth of the money New Yorkers and Long Islanders have given so far.

Following Bush, in order of their totals in New York and on Long Island, were Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). Nationally, Cruz was second and Rubio third in fundraising.

"Jeb Bush has done a better job at representing himself as an able, well-rounded individual and as a leader," said John Jay LaValle, the Suffolk County Republican Party chairman.

Clinton and Bush also have the advantage of high profiles, large networks from their presidential families and time to spend on organization and campaigning, political operatives from both parties said.

The filings show strong backing of Clinton by the New York Democratic establishment.

Long Island's Democratic National Committeemen -- Jacobs of Laurel Hollow and Robert Zimmerman of Great Neck -- have become "Hillblazers," the name for 123 fundraisers who already have collected $100,000 or more for Clinton.

With her ties to Long Island from the past, Zimmerman said, "It makes the fundraising more of a community rally."

Jacobs said, "We did an event in my home on June 1, and we raised over $300,000."

The filings by four Democratic and 12 Republican presidential candidates last Wednesday provide a snapshot of an early stage of the presidential money race in New York, including a ranking of GOP hopefuls.

Those candidates raised $10.5 million from New Yorkers, including $1.2 million from Long Islanders.

But the figures represent only individual donations of "hard money," or regulated contributions to the candidates' authorized campaign committees.

They do not including "soft money," or contributions to outside groups such as super PACs, nonprofits and other organizations that run ads and operate independently of the presidential campaigns.

The filings also don't include three late-declaring Republican candidates who haven't filed campaign finance reports: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

Still, the filings show early trends in political giving.

The communities that donated most to Clinton were Great Neck, Port Washington, Manhasset, Syosset and Lawrence.

Bush raised the most from Cold Spring Harbor, Locust Valley, Garden City, Laurel Hollow and Rockville Centre.

As Republicans seek to winnow their field of candidates, LaValle said the filings reflect "to a large degree where the race is going."