LI's 4 House incumbents have big fundraising edge

WASHINGTON — Long Island’s four U.S. House incumbents have raised nearly $18 million combined so far in their campaigns for reelection, while their challengers have hauled in less than $3 million.

With less than four months to go until the November election that will decide party control of the 435-seat House, fundraising updates filed Wednesday night with the Federal Election Commission show huge money gaps between the incumbents and challengers in each of the Island’s four races.

Only one of the four challengers, former Republican Assemb. Michael LiPetri, of Farmingdale, buoyed by a pep-rally-like event last month in his district featuring Vice President JD Vance, has cracked the $1 million threshold in money collected, with more than $1.5 million. But his foe, Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove), sits on more than $5.6 million.

The four challengers, three of whom had to spend money on last month’s primary elections, now enter a critical phase where their national parties and donors will be watching closely if they can pick up more fundraising steam.

"It’s not surprising that the incumbents on Long Island have raised considerably more money, it’s almost always the case throughout the country," said Lawrence Levy, executive dean of the National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University.

"Once the parties feel they’ve secured their incumbents, then perhaps they’ll start spending on challenges that look winnable," Levy said. "But, regardless of enrollment figures that make all of Long Island districts look very competitive, the consensus of the major fundraising organizations is that they aren’t likely to be flipped, so the money is gonna go to other races around the country and even in the state."

Here, according to their updated filings with the FEC, is how the scramble for dollars in these four congressional campaigns stacks up:

District 1

Republican Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) has increased the total amount raised in this campaign to $3.83 million.

He raised $650,024 from April 1 through June 30; he had $3.33 million left in the bank as of June 30.

Democrat challenger Chris Gallant, of Amity Harbor, has raised $646,381 in his campaign.

He raised 223,715 from April 1 through June 30; he had $172,217 left in the bank as of June 30.

District 2

Republican Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport) has increased his total amount raised in this campaign to $3.53 million.

He raised $1.02 million from April 1 through June 30 and had $3.46 million left in the bank as of June 30.

Democratic challenger Patrick Halpin, of Oak Beach, has raised $461,848 in this campaign.

He raised $86,981 from April 1 through June 30 and had $89,408 left in the bank as of June 30.

District 3

Suozzi has increased his total amount raised in this campaign to $5.48 million.

He raised $1.35 million from April 1 through June 30 and had $5.68 million left in the bank as of June 30.

Challenger LiPetri has increased the total amount raised in his campaign committee to $1.54 million. That main committee raised $849,499 from April 1 through June 30 and had $680,946 left in the bank, as of June 30.

These amounts do not include dollars the LiPetri campaign reports raised by a separate joint fundraising committee and a third committee that, it says, brings his total since the start of his campaign to just shy of $2 million. Some of those other amounts have been transferred into his main committee, though, and are counted there.

His committee reports it owes $56,746 in debts or loans.

District 4

Democrat Laura Gillen (D-Rockville Centre) has increased her total amount raised in this campaign to $5.13 million.

She raised $912,472 from April 1 through June 30 and had $3.84 million left in the bank as of June 30.

Republican challenger Jeanine Driscoll, of Bellerose Village, who did not become a congressional candidate until April, reported raising a total of $264,824 so far through June 30.

Driscoll had $226,274 in the bank as of June 30.