Lindsay's campaign fund twice other candidates'

The son of Suffolk County's longtime legislative leader raised nearly twice as much money as any other legislative candidate during the first half of 2013 as he seeks the seat being vacated by his father.

Democrat Bill Lindsay took in $82,589, according to state campaign finance records, including a $20,000 personal loan and nearly $35,000 from the labor groups who have long backed his father, term-limited Presiding Officer William Lindsay (D-Holbrook), a former electricians union official. He has $67,334 in cash on hand.

Republican Anthony Musumeci, Lindsay's opponent in the 8th legislative district, which covers eastern Islip Town, raised $17,015 as he began his second run for the seat, and has $18,167 in cash on hand.

"Obviously, his dad is very close to organized labor, so it's not really a surprise," said Musumeci, 35, of Bohemia, who works in the engineering field.

Lindsay, 40, who is in the insurance business, acknowledged that his father's reputation played a part in his union support, but added that he believed his support of job-creating development projects also was a factor.

"There's a lot of big development proposals on the table, but they need to be put together the right way, and I believe I can bring people together to do that," said Lindsay, of Bohemia.

Officials from both major parties are targeting the 8th district as a key battleground. The next highest fundraising total came from the neighboring 9th district, where Monica Martinez, an assistant school principal from Brentwood, hopes to challenge veteran Legis. Rick Montano in a Democratic primary.

Martinez is the sister of Babylon Town Board member Tony Martinez, a close ally of Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, a Democrat. Montano has sometimes criticized Bellone and refused to vote with his party on controversial matters.

Martinez brought in $52,633 through June, including a $19,843 personal loan, $6,000 from Islip Democrats and $15,000 from 15 real estate companies that used the same two Nassau County addresses. She had $1,273 on hand after paying for the workers who gathered signatures to get her on the September primary ballot.

"Her campaign is supported by and orchestrated by outsiders," said Montano, who raised $32,166 over the filing period, and has $18,359 in cash on hand.

Martinez's campaign countered that Montano's donations slowed after Martinez entered the race in June -- and downplayed the cluster of outside real estate firm contributions, some of which are connected to a controversial affordable housing project in Brentwood that Montano opposes.

"While she's accepted money from a variety of sources, she's not going to be beholden to any special interest," said campaign manager Russell Leibowitz.