Romney leads GOP field in LI donations

WASHINGTON -- When Texas Gov. Rick Perry topped Republican presidential polls last summer, Long Islanders didn't flood him with checks.

When businessman Herman Cain leapt out as front-runner in October, Long Islanders didn't jump on his bandwagon.

And when former House Speaker Newt Gingrich surged ahead in December, Long Islanders stayed the course by contributing to Mitt Romney.

A snapshot of presidential fundraising through the end of last year -- before the GOP primaries in January -- shows that Long Islanders gave the most money to the former Bain Capital executive.

Romney easily led the Republican field by raising $6.8 million in 2011 from New York State, including $733,109 from Long Island, according to last week's campaign finance filings by presidential candidates.

"From day one, Romney has been the presumptive nominee, as far as the political insiders and money men are concerned," said Michael Dawidziak, a Republican political consultant in Bohemia.

The reports show Romney is running a two-pronged money race in New York -- trying to out-raise GOP rivals and vying with President Barack Obama for checks from Wall Street.

Among the GOP candidates, Romney maintained a steady lead in New York.

The runner-up, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), raised a tenth as much: $569,593 statewide and $89,372 on Long Island.

Gingrich took in $254,144 statewide and $76,720 on Long Island. Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) raised $35,016 statewide and $9,675 on Long Island. Wednesday, Santorum said his three victories Tuesday prompted $250,000 in contributions from around the country.

Across New York last year, Romney trailed Obama, who raised $8.3 million. But on Long Island, Romney beat Obama's total collection of $656,089.

The campaign finance filings likely understate the amounts raised in New York, however.

Only contributions from donors of $200 or more are listed, while those giving less than $200 are not identified by state.

Less than a tenth of Romney's funders are small donors, but Obama raises as much from small donors as big ones, so his New York total is likely higher than his report shows.

In the GOP money race, New York Republican leaders and strategists say Romney built a strong organization and out-raised his rivals -- in part because he held more New York fundraisers than they did.

Networking is the only way to get "establishment money," said GOP political strategist Jay Townsend, who ran against Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) in 2010. "Romney has done just a marvelous job of doing it."

Perry was Romney's only real GOP competitor for that money, he said, but Perry blew the opportunity when he froze up in the Nov. 9 GOP debate.

Gingrich is popular in some areas, including parts of upstate, but not among the party establishment, who don't see him as a safe choice, Townsend said. Those Republicans prefer Romney, with his ties to Wall Street, he said. "They know where he is coming from."

The Suffolk County Republican Committee endorsed Romney in December, said its chairman, John Jay LaValle.

"Romney knows how to speak to the businesspeople," he said. "Gingrich knows how to speak to the tea party."

In the race with Obama, Romney trails statewide but is winning many Wall Street donors who gave to Obama in 2008.

Nationally, the financial sector gave Romney $6.1 million in 2011, but only $2.2 million to Obama, said the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.

"In this election, Wall Street is giving money overwhelmingly to Republicans because they didn't like the Dodd-Frank bill," which regulates the financial industry, or the "millionaire's tax" on high-income earners, Schumer said. Both were backed by Democrats.

On Long Island, Romney's money edge shows he's held local fundraisers and Obama hasn't, said New York Democratic chairman Jay Jacobs.

"I would love to have the president come to Long Island, and I will assure you we will raise a half a million dollars," Jacobs said.