Through the first quarter of 2014, Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice has far surpassed her competitors in fundraising for her campaign to succeed the retiring Carolyn McCarthy in the 4th congressional district, according to campaign finance records.
Rice has so far raised more than $1.4 million and has more than $1 million in cash on hand, while her opponent for the Democratic nomination, Nassau County Legislator Kevan Abrahams, has brought in $109,546 through March, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.
On the Republican side, Bruce Blakeman, a Long Beach resident and former presiding officer of the Nassau County Legislature, has raised $114,200 and loaned himself $200,000 loan since declaring his candidacy in February, according to records.
Frank Scaturro, an attorney and New Hyde Park native who in 2012 lost the 4th district Republican primary but won the Conservative party nomination, received $37,915 in donations and has $106,225 on hand, according to records.
Rice received $2,600 donations from more than 150 individual donors as well as a combined $26,000 from members of the Katz family, who operate the Farmingdale private jet firm Talon Air, and $20,800 from Scott Rechler of RXR Realty and three family members.
Included in Rice’s individual donations was a $2,600 offering from Randy Levine, president of the New York Yankees baseball franchise. She also took in $4,000 from Sterling Equities, the Great Neck financial firm operated by New York Mets owners Fred and Jeff Wilpon and Saul Katz.
Rice also received $10,400 from defense lawyer Joe Tacopina, who recently represented Alex Rodriguez in his lawsuits against Major League Baseball and its players union following his suspension for the 2014 season stemming from the league’s Biogenesis investigation.
She also received $10,000 donations from the political action committee Off the Sidelines, founded by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Cablevision.
Abrahams received $5,200 from Arthur Katz, the founder of Knockout Pest Control of Uniondale.
Among Blakeman’s largest contributors were members of the Kadish family, of Old Westbury, real estate investors who combined to donate $15,600. Manhasset physician Jeffrey Stahl and his wife Dina gave Scaturro’s campaign a combined $10,400.
