Records: Gov. Hochul gets campaign donations from major Dem donors

ALBANY — Gov. Kathy Hochul has attracted the top Democratic campaign contributors from Fifth Avenue to Beverly Hills to raise $21.9 million for her campaign fund. She now has more campaign cash on hand than all her opponents combined, according to state records made available Wednesday.

The state Board of Elections filings cover campaign fundraising and spending since June. The filings also showed:

• Democratic challenger Tom Suozzi, a congressman from Glen Cove, raised $3.3 million and has $5.2 million on hand.
• Democrat Jumaane Williams, the New York City public advocate, raised $221,996 during the period and has $189,221.
• Among Republican candidates for governor Lee Zeldin, the congressman from Shirley, raised $4.2 million in contributions and has $5.6 million.
• Republican Rob Astorino, the former Westchester County executive and former GOP nominee for governor in 2014, received $764,204 in contributions and has $1.3 million.
• Andrew Giuliani, son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, raised $85,601 and has $188,409.
• Former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who had to file a report even though he resigned in August amid sexual harassment allegations, spent more than $1.6 million in campaign funds on lawyers, including $734,000 to Rita Glavin, the former federal prosecutor who has led the fight Cuomo has waged to clear his name. Cuomo still has $16.4 million in his campaign account.

The filings also show who is contributing to the candidates.

Hochul received the $69,700 maximum allowed by law for primary and general election contributions from 32 donors, including some of the top real estate developers in Manhattan. Labor unions and other big Democratic contributors who do business with the state were among the other large donors, many of whom were previously large contributors to Cuomo’s campaigns.

She received $359,100 in total from four members of the Tisch family which has long been major developers and business leaders and owners of the New York Giants; $69,700 each from Robert Speyer, CEO of the Tishman Speyer real estate development firm; and Stephen Ross of the Related Companies, a global real estate developer. She also received $47,100 from the New York Hotel Trades union, $25,000 from Featherstonhaugh, Wiley & Clyne, one of Albany’s most prominent lobbying firms; $25,000 from the New York Yankees Partnership in the Bronx; and $20,000 from Michael Eisner of Beverly Hills, the former CEO of the Walt Disney Co.

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld contributed $50,000 to Hochul in December.

Suozzi transferred $2.1 million from his congressional campaign account to raise his governor’s campaign fund to $5.2 million. Suozzi spokeswoman Kim Devlin said voters outside Long Island are just starting to get to know the congressman and support is rising.

Among Williams’ contributions was $1,000 from Cynthia Nixon, the activist and actress who challenged Cuomo in the 2018 Democratic primary.

Zeldin transferred $75,000 from his congressional campaign account. He also received $13,600 from the Our Freedom Political Action Committee, which has the same Shirley mailing address as Lee Zeldin for Congress, according to the Federal Elections Commission. He also received $10,000 from John Catsimatidis, host of the "Cats Roundtable" radio show and podcast that features Republican and conservative politicians.

In total, Zeldin’s campaign said it raised $8.4 million over the last two reporting periods dating to January 2020 and called it the most raised by any Republican in New York in more than two decades.

Astorino’s donors included $50,000 from Westchester developer Louis Capelli and $47,100 from Long Island businessman Jerry Steinlauf. Astorino received $10,000 from John Hendrickson, who owns a Saratoga Springs horse racing stable.

Campaign spokesman Phil Oliva said most of the contributions have come in recent months as Astorino has ramped up his campaign events.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly listed $58,830 from the Baiting Hollow Club as a contribution to Zeldin. It was an expenditure.

By Michael Gormley

michael.gormley@newsday.com@GormleyAlbany

Michael Gormley has worked for Newsday since 2013, covering state government, politics and issues. He has covered Albany since 2001.