Nassau DA raises nearly $1M in 6 months

Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice raised the third-highest amount of cash among any potential state or local candidate or committee, according to campaign finance reports for the last six months of 2011.

Rice ended the year with $1.2 million on hand after raising $910,009 from July through December.

But Rice is not running for any office other than her current one, said Eric Phillips, a Rice campaign consultant.

"The district attorney takes her job seriously and that requires her to take seriously building a political network that will allow her to continue her public service," Phillips said.

Rice raised less money than Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who collected $6.2 million, and the New York State Senate Republican Campaign Committee, which raised $3 million, in that period.

Rice lost a bid for state attorney general in 2010 but has frequently been mentioned as a Democratic candidate for Nassau County executive in 2013. She has not spoken about any campaign next year.

Philips said Wednesday that Rice, a two-term incumbent, "is focused entirely on the job people overwhelmingly elected her to do," adding that he would not speculate on who would be among the candidates in an election almost two years away.

Republican County Executive Edward Mangano has $1.5 million in campaign funds, according to the finance filings.

Other potential Democratic candidates for that office include former County Executive Thomas Suozzi, who has $1.2 million in campaign funds, North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jon Kaiman, with $391,000 and County Legis. David Denenberg of Merrick, with $35,000, according to the filings.

State and Nassau Democratic chairman Jay Jacobs has not been raising funds for himself, but has said that if there is no viable candidate, he will run.