Dems, GOP dump nearly $400G into Senate race

   The race to win an open state Senate seat in Suffolk County has seen a sudden influx of money after largely being ignored for most of the campaign.

  Records show the chief fund-raising committee for Senate Republicans pumped $200,000 to the campaign of Assemb. Dean Murray (R-East Patchogue) on Tuesday. That very day, the Senate Democrats sent $181,000 to the campaign of Monica Martinez, a Suffolk County Legislator from Brentwood.

  Martinez and Murray are competing to replace Sen. Tom Croci (R-Sayville), who isn’t running for re-election. It is the one open Senate seat on Long Island.

 Republican and Democrat committees previously had funneled little money into the contest, even while pouring in hundreds of thousands of dollars into three other key races in Nassau and Suffolk counties.  

  Republicans currently hold a 32-31 advantage in the Senate, the one area of state government they control. Multiple seats are considered “in play” as Election Day looms.