Mayor de Blasio outpaced by Paul Massey in fundraising, report says
Republican NYC mayoral candidate Paul Massey has outpaced Mayor Bill de Blasio in the latest round of fundraising, according to a campaign financing report released this week. Credit: Handout
A real estate executive seeking the mayoralty in the mold of Mike Bloomberg outpaced incumbent Bill de Blasio in the latest fundraising report, but the mayor has more in his war chest.
Paul Massey Jr., a Republican executive, raised $1,627,526, according to the New York City Campaign Finance Board, while de Blasio raised $1,073,908, and his balance is $2,221,044. Massey’s campaign has $937,017 remaining.
The fundraising reported this week covers a six-month period and includes both big-dollar donations — the maximum under most circumstances is $4,950 per person — and smaller contributions. Under the city’s matching-funds program, the donations are actually worth $6 for every $1 raised, covering the first $175.
De Blasio is running for re-election, aiming for small-dollar contributions. He has accomplished much of his platform — prekindergarten for all, a further reduction in the NYPD tactic of stop, question and frisk — but he and his inner circle continue to be the subjects of local, state, and federal investigations into the mayor’s fundraising efforts.
Massey, in announcing last year that he would run, said, “I love this city and I am concerned about where it’s headed.”
His donors include many from the real estate industry. Earlier in January, he received the endorsement of the Independence Party.
Bloomberg, a virtual unknown in political circles before his successful run for mayor in 2001, spent tens of millions of his own money and went on to win three terms in City Hall.
The Independence Party helped Bloomberg — a onetime Democrat — win office.
Mayoral candidate and retired NYPD detective “Bo” Dietl — listed in campaign records as “Richard A. Dietl” — got $282,656 in contributions, according to the report.
Separately, Quinnipiac University released an opinion poll Wednesday showing that de Blasio would beat all opponents declared and undeclared— except fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton, if she challenged him as an independent.
The poll, conducted Jan. 11 to Jan. 17 with a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points, showed that Clinton would beat de Blasio, 49 to 30 percent.
Clinton has not said she would run, but rumors from unnamed people close to the former presidential candidate and U.S. senator from New York have floated the idea.
According to the poll, De Blasio’s approval and disapproval ratings are in a statistical dead heat, within the margin of error.
Still, he’d easily beat hypothetical candidates, former City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, City Comptroller Scott Stringer, U.S. Rep Hakim Jeffries (D-Brooklyn), Bronx Borough President Rubén Díaz Jr. The mayor also would handily defeat State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Queens), who has announced his candidacy and has raised $725 in contributions.
Matthew Chayes, a Newsday reporter since 2007, covers New York City.
