Bruce Blakeman speaks at the Nassau County GOP election night...

Bruce Blakeman speaks at the Nassau County GOP election night event at Coral House in Baldwin in November. Credit: Jeff Bachner

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman raked in more than $720,000 in campaign donations during the second half of 2024, a sum powered by contributions from property tax grievance firms and Republican Party leaders, newly released filings show.

Blakeman has not announced a bid for reelection, but he enters the 2025 election year with $1.7 million, about the same amount he raised during his entire 2021 campaign.

"It is Bruce’s intention to run but no final decision has been made as of yet," Chris Boyle, a spokesman for Blakeman, told Newsday.

The numbers released by the state Campaign Finance Board last week push Blakeman’s fundraising total since the start of 2021 to nearly $3.5 million. During his first two years in office, from January 2022 to December 2023, he raised more than $376,000 in campaign donations.

"I appreciate the broad support that I have received," Blakeman wrote in a statement to Newsday on Wednesday, attributing his success to keeping the tax levy flat during his tenure.

No Republican has emerged to challenge Blakeman in a possible faceoff this election cycle. Nassau County Legis. Seth Koslow, who launched his bid as the Democratic candidate for county executive several weeks ago, raised nearly $42,000 last year, according to campaign finance data. State and Nassau County Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs contributed $25,000 of that total.

Topping the list of Blakeman’s largest donors for 2024 was the Committee for Fair Property Taxes, the residential tax firms’ political action committee, which gave $34,500. Shalom Maidenbaum, founder of a major tax reduction firm, also gave $21,000.

The Nassau County Republican Committee gave about $34,300 and the trade union International Union of Operating Engineers gave $23,500.

A handful of wealthy individuals doled out $20,000 each to Blakeman’s campaign. Among them were Matthew Bruderman, chairman of the Nassau Health Care Corporation; Kenneth Langone, a billionaire who financed the creation of Home Depot; and Harvinder Singh, CEO of Bolla Oil Corp. Government lobbyist Robert McBride gave $22,000.

Blakeman spent about $282,400 last year from his campaign fund. More than $31,000 went to a hospitality company, a single payment of about $23,700 went to Opus Mediterranean Steakhouse in Jericho and $20,400 went to a political consulting firm.

Blakeman also spent $5,800 last May on a propeller plane. The expense was made to attend the wake of Syracuse police officer Michael Jensen and Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Michael Hoosock, both killed in the line of duty on April 14, according to Boyle. He spent about $5,900 to take the same plane to Washington, D.C. in July to attend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to a joint session of Congress.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman raked in more than $720,000 in campaign donations during the second half of 2024, a sum powered by contributions from property tax grievance firms and Republican Party leaders, newly released filings show.

Blakeman has not announced a bid for reelection, but he enters the 2025 election year with $1.7 million, about the same amount he raised during his entire 2021 campaign.

"It is Bruce’s intention to run but no final decision has been made as of yet," Chris Boyle, a spokesman for Blakeman, told Newsday.

The numbers released by the state Campaign Finance Board last week push Blakeman’s fundraising total since the start of 2021 to nearly $3.5 million. During his first two years in office, from January 2022 to December 2023, he raised more than $376,000 in campaign donations.

"I appreciate the broad support that I have received," Blakeman wrote in a statement to Newsday on Wednesday, attributing his success to keeping the tax levy flat during his tenure.

No Republican has emerged to challenge Blakeman in a possible faceoff this election cycle. Nassau County Legis. Seth Koslow, who launched his bid as the Democratic candidate for county executive several weeks ago, raised nearly $42,000 last year, according to campaign finance data. State and Nassau County Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs contributed $25,000 of that total.

Topping the list of Blakeman’s largest donors for 2024 was the Committee for Fair Property Taxes, the residential tax firms’ political action committee, which gave $34,500. Shalom Maidenbaum, founder of a major tax reduction firm, also gave $21,000.

The Nassau County Republican Committee gave about $34,300 and the trade union International Union of Operating Engineers gave $23,500.

A handful of wealthy individuals doled out $20,000 each to Blakeman’s campaign. Among them were Matthew Bruderman, chairman of the Nassau Health Care Corporation; Kenneth Langone, a billionaire who financed the creation of Home Depot; and Harvinder Singh, CEO of Bolla Oil Corp. Government lobbyist Robert McBride gave $22,000.

Blakeman spent about $282,400 last year from his campaign fund. More than $31,000 went to a hospitality company, a single payment of about $23,700 went to Opus Mediterranean Steakhouse in Jericho and $20,400 went to a political consulting firm.

Blakeman also spent $5,800 last May on a propeller plane. The expense was made to attend the wake of Syracuse police officer Michael Jensen and Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Michael Hoosock, both killed in the line of duty on April 14, according to Boyle. He spent about $5,900 to take the same plane to Washington, D.C. in July to attend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to a joint session of Congress.

From Love Lane in Mattituck, NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano and Newsday deputy lifestyle editor Meghan Giannotta have your look at ways to celebrate Valentine's Day this year. Credit: Randee Daddona, Gary Licker; Newsday / A.J. Singh

Put a little love in your heart with the NewsdayTV Valentine's Day Special! From Love Lane in Mattituck, NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano and Newsday deputy lifestyle editor Meghan Giannotta have your look at ways to celebrate Valentine's Day this year.

From Love Lane in Mattituck, NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano and Newsday deputy lifestyle editor Meghan Giannotta have your look at ways to celebrate Valentine's Day this year. Credit: Randee Daddona, Gary Licker; Newsday / A.J. Singh

Put a little love in your heart with the NewsdayTV Valentine's Day Special! From Love Lane in Mattituck, NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano and Newsday deputy lifestyle editor Meghan Giannotta have your look at ways to celebrate Valentine's Day this year.

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