Bishop, McCarthy amass big campaign money

With expectations of a tough general election for sitting members of Congress next year, Reps. Tim Bishop and Carolyn McCarthy of Long Island have been on a tear raising campaign money this year, federal reports filed last weekend show.

Democrats Bishop and McCarthy, who already have Republican challengers, reported raising more than $300,000 in this year's third quarter, a feat both accomplished for the second quarter in a row, their Election Commission filings show.

Bishop, of Southampton, and McCarthy, of Mineola, have amassed what for them are large campaign war chests -- Bishop with nearly $1 million in the bank and McCarthy with $580,000, the filings show.

"At the end of the day, we know we're going to get outspent," said Bishop campaign spokesman Jon Schneider.

"We've got to raise money, a little bit here and there at a time, to fight back," he said.

Next year's election could be particularly tough for incumbents, with a Gallup Poll last week showing just 13 percent approve of Congress.

Voter discontent has led to two straight congressional "wave elections," in which voters swept out the majority party. Analysts say next year could see another one.

Bishop and McCarthy are considered the most vulnerable of the five Long Island representatives. Both had closer races than expected last year.

Bishop's East End district in Suffolk County continues to draw the most attention, however. Already, GOP strategist Karl Rove's Crossroads Super PAC spent $250,000 on ads against Bishop in August.

St. James Republican businessman Randy Altschuler, who lost last year, said he raised $227,926 in the last quarter and had $493,264 in cash, his filing shows. An Altschuler spokesman said Bishop is raising money because "he knows he's extremely vulnerable."

Lawyer George Demos, who lost the 2010 primary to Altschuler, said he raised $76,725 and had $76,242 in cash.

Bishop reported he raised $313,700 in the last quarter and had $987,706 in the bank.

In her Nassau County district, McCarthy reported raising $303,828 and has $580,466 in cash on hand. Her GOP challenger, attorney Frank Scaturro, said he raised $13,598 and had $31,544 in the bank.

Scaturro said McCarthy's unusually strong fundraising shows she thinks she is vulnerable.

Meanwhile, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) reported she raised nearly $2 million in the last quarter, giving her $7.1 million in the bank. The filing for Republican challenger George Maragos, the Nassau County Comptroller, was not available.

In other reports:

Rep. Steve Israel (D-Dix Hills), $301,244 raised, $489,965 cash; Steven Labate, GOP challenger to Israel, $21,720 raised, $33,614 in cash;

Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Roslyn Heights), $50,270 raised, $665,326 cash; Rep. Pete King (R-Seaford), $210,125 raised, $2.1 million cash.