Matching funds help candidates in close Assembly races

The release of Assembly candidates’ 32-day pre-election disclosures on Oct. 4 marks the first glimpse into campaign finances since this summer, showing just how close our races to watch with Election Day less than a month away. It’s clear that the state’s new public matching funds program, which matches small dollar donations at a rate that varies between 8-1 and 12-1, is having an effect on close races.

In some races, there is simply a lot of money being raised and spent on campaigns. Assembly Member Stacey Pheffer Amato, for instance, closed out the most recent reporting period with a whopping $384,000 in cash on hand, having started the period with over $296,000. Since the previous period ended July 11, she raked in nearly $212,000, of which about $175,000 came from public matching funds. The incumbent Democratic Assembly member, who represents southern Queens, now has a large financial cushion as she prepares for a rematch against Republican nominee Tom Sullivan, whom she defeated by a narrow 15 votes after a recount in 2022. Sullivan has much less cash on hand – finishing the period with about $82,000 – but both candidates spent big. Pheffer Amato dropped more than $124,000, while Sullivan spent about $109,000. 

Plenty of dollars are also being thrown at the Assembly District 46 race in southern Brooklyn, with Republican incumbent Assembly Member Alec Brook-Krasny closing out the filing period with about $148,000 in cash on hand – roughly $25,000 less than his challenger, Democrat Chris McCreight. Both appear to be receiving significant financial backing locally, with Brook-Krasny receiving about $79,000 in public matching funds and McCreight getting about $82,500.

The state Democratic Party has buttressed funding for some individual campaigns, even when candidates’ own fundraising numbers might suggest their races are all but decided. Kwani O'Pharrow, a Democrat aiming to take the open seat left by Democratic former Assembly Member Kimberly Jean-Pierre on Long Island, only raised about $9,000 this reporting period, but a PAC associated with the state party footed the campaign’s $69,700 bill for consultant Mark Guma’s work, filings show. (O’Pharrow’s Republican opponent Joe Cardinale has received some $95,000 in matching funds, yet only spent $1.97 in the last period). Judy Griffin, the Democrat challenging incumbent Assembly Member Brian Curran in Assembly District 21 in Nassau County, raised more than $199,000 this fundraising period, but the state party PAC covered Guma’s $90,705 bill for her campaign and kicked in another $65,705. 

Not every candidate in potentially tight races is raising or spending significant sums. Assembly Member Ron Kim, who represents Assembly District 40 in Flushing, faces a particularly competitive race. Two years ago, he defeated largely unknown Republican candidate Sharon Liao by just 550 votes. The progressive Queens lawmaker only spent about $28,710 this reporting period, closing with a little under $18,100 in cash on hand. But he may be more comfortable this time around, though; he spent heavily in the primary, which he won by 14 points, closing with nearly $219,600 in cash on hand a month out and reported having about $31,000 in mid-July.

Some candidates have vastly outraised their opponents. In Assembly District 99, which covers Rockland and Orange counties, Democratic incumbent Assembly Member Chris Eachus did not even qualify for public matching funds, while his Republican opponent Tony Lapolla received nearly $84,500 in matching funds. 

Then there’s Assembly District 133 in Monroe County, where Democrat Colleen Walsh-Williams and Republican Andrea Bailey will duke it out for an open seat as Republican Assembly Member Marjorie Byrnes is not seeking another term. Bailey earned some $81,500 in matching funds, while Walsh-Williams did not qualify for matching funds and only managed to raise $1,705 last period, ending with about $2,200 in cash on hand.

In Rockland County’s Assembly District 96, Democratic Clarkstown Council Member Patrick Carroll seems poised to fill former Assembly Member Ken Zebrowski’s open seat. He now has over $106,000 cash on hand, while his Republican opponent, former New York City police detective Ronald Diz, has just $2,865. 

In the Capital Region’s Assembly District 107, Republican incumbent Assembly Member Scott Bendett is also strapped for cash, reported having just under $925 in cash on hand. His Democratic opponent Chloe Pierce has a more comfortable $52,000 warchest. But at least Bendett has qualified for matching funds. He received about $22,000 in matching funds, slightly less than the $24,000 in matching funds that Pierce received.