The race between Republican incumbent Edward Ra and Democrat challenger Gary Port for the 19th State Assembly District won’t be decided by big money.
Ra has far outdistanced Port in drawing monetary support, raising a total of $15,310 as of Oct. 5, according to state Election Board records.
But Ra has disbursed most of what is a relatively modest amount of money raised to other organizations. He had a closing balance of $2,072.86 in cash on hand.
Port had only succeeded in raising $1,835.71 as of Oct. 5 and had $1,685.71 as a closing balance one month before the November election.
“The Assembly race is the Rodney Dangerfield of campaigns,” Port said. “There’s just no money being pumped into local races.”
He said the state Democratic Party wasn’t concerned about putting money into his race because of the make-up of the newly drawn 19th district – and the Democratic majority in the state Assembly.
“They’ll welcome me if I win,” Port said.
Otherwise, he said, they are not concerned.
Port, who ran unsuccessfully last year against Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray, said he is spending his campaign money on printing literature, which he and his campaign volunteers have been hand-delivering door-to-door through the district.
Port dismissed the common practice of planting campaign signs. He said the sign strategy backfired on him in his unsuccessful race for Town of Hempstead Supervisor last year, when 200 of his signs went missing within hours after they were planted.
“I got burned on that last year,” he said.
Port said he held fundraisers but just didn’t get the response he was hoping to get.
Ra said he is relying on signage – lawn signs and bumper stickers – to plant his name in voters’ minds.
“I hope somebody driving by my sign every day for a month peaks an interest,” Ra said.
He said his primary campaign strategy is walking the neighborhoods in the district to talk to voters after he’s finished tending to business in his local Assembly office each day.
Although he’s the incumbent, Ra is moving from from the 21st State Assembly District he formerly represented, centered in Elmont and Franklin Square, to a newly reconfigured 19th district that is spread from New Hyde Park, Mineola, and the Willistons up through Old Westbury to Glen Head in addition to Franklin Square.
In an interview with Blank Slate Media, Port said Ra’s campaign finance reports showed what he called a “$30,000 slush fund” that Ra was using to distribute money to other campaigns.
“I don’t know what he’s talking about,” Ra said.
Of Ra’s reported $15,310, $9,560 came from individual contributors kicking in $450 or less. He also received $2,000 from LAWPAC of New York, $500 each from Superior Officers Association NCPD Public Education, Friends for the election of Dean Skelos and the East 77th Realty LLC in New Hyde Park. He drew contributions of $250 each from the New York State Professional Firefighters, the Uniformed Fire Officers Association and the New York Gaming Association.
Through Oct. 5, Ra had disbursed $14,605.06 to various political organizations, including $350 to the Independence Party of New York, $150 to the Independence Party Club of New York, $250 to the Nassau County Conservative Committee, $350 to the Nassau County Conservative Party, $500 to the North Hempstead Republican Committee, $250 to the Willistons Republican Committee, $75 to Italian American State Legislators, $100 to the Charles J. Fuschillo Republican Club and $5,000 to the Republican Assembly Campaign Committee, which Ra said supports Republican candidates’ campaigns throughout the state.
He also made $150 donations to the Detectives Association Inc., the Nassau County PBA, the Girl Scouts of Nassau County, a $250 donation to the Franklin Square Little League, $100 to the New Hyde Park Kiwanis Foundation, and $100 to the Carey Dad’s Club, associated with H. Frank Carey High School in Franklin Square.
“Those organizations are doing good things. Whenever they have their events, I support them,” Ra said.
He also reimbursed someone $2,600 spent on New York Mets tickets for a campaign fundraising event.
