GOP candidates for governor make final push for funds

ALBANY - Buffalo businessman Carl Paladino has again tapped his fortune to sustain his primary challenge of Rick Lazio for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, records show.

Paladino, who made millions on real estate, gave $650,000 to his campaign this month, erasing a $567 deficit reported Aug. 30. The infusion trumped $472,514 that Lazio had on hand at the end of last month.

Lazio, a former congressman from Brightwaters, continues to trail Paladino and Democratic nominee Andrew Cuomo in the money race. Lazio has hundreds of thousands of dollars to their millions.

Cuomo had $23.6 million on hand in mid-July. He hasn't had to disclose fundraising since because there is no Democratic primary.

Lazio has raised at least $109,355 in the 10 days since Aug. 30, the cutoff for the final campaign finance report before Tuesday's primary. Paladino collected $657,000 - his own money except for three donations of $2,500 or less. He's now poured at least $3 million into his coffers.

Both men have only to disclose contributions of more than $1,000 at this time, though Lazio included all amounts for Aug. 31-Sept. 2.

The imbalance of financial resources could prove decisive on Tuesday, according to some political experts. They said Paladino, not Lazio, has the cash to pay for television commercials, brochures and get-out-the-vote operations.

"We found Lazio's support was soft, so Paladino may be hoping to win over voters by airing lots of commercials," said Maurice Carroll of the Quinnipiac University Poll. "Paladino has to be taken seriously because of the amount of money he has."

Lazio aide David James acknowledged Paladino's deeper pockets but said Lazio had collected more from likely voters: "We have far outraised Carl Paladino this entire cycle and are confident we will have the resources necessary to defeat Andrew Cuomo on Nov. 2."

Lazio's largest contributors in the past month have been Wall Street executives and other politicians including Brown University chancellor Thomas Tisch and former Suffolk County executive Robert Gaffney. In July, Lazio lent his campaign $200,000.

Paladino's campaign donors, almost exclusively, hail from his native Buffalo and its suburbs. They include a local developer and a waste-disposal magnate.

Asked about Paladino's donor base, campaign manager Michael Caputo said, "We've only just begun fundraising . . . many more fundraisers are being set up out of town."

A Paladino ally, Ralph Lorigo, is challenging Lazio for the Conservative Party's gubernatorial nomination. As with the GOP, Lazio is the party designee. However, Lorigo's campaign has neither spent nor raised funds since mid-July, records show. He could not be reached Thursday.

The Money Race

Rick Lazio, Republican and Conservative designee

CASH ON HAND: $472,514*

BIG DONORS

Roger Hertog, investment house executive in Manhattan, $51,835 Jonathan Pollock, hedge-fund manager in London, $51,835 Thomas Tisch, investor in Manhattan and chancellor of Brown University, $51,835 Robert Gaffney, former Suffolk County executive, $10,000 Caesar Trunzo, former state senator from Brentwood, $1,000

*Estimate based on money raised and spent during the 20-day period ended Aug. 30

Carl Paladino, Republican challenger

CASH ON HAND: -$567** BIG DONORS

Richard Penfold, founder of waste disposal companies from Orchard Park, $10,000 Joel Sartori, executive of one of Paladino's companies from Lancaster, $5,025 Frank Ciminelli, Buffalo developer, $5,000 Pay Tel Corp., seller of pay phones based in Buffalo, $5,000 Victor Rice, business executive in Buffalo $5,000

**Includes $220,000 personal loan from the candidate but not $650,000 loan made after the 20-day disclosure report was filed

- Compiled by James T. Madore

SOURCES: NYS Board of Elections, Newsday research