Tuesday, October 19, 2021

New York's Congressional Delegation Raises - and Spends - Money for 2022 Campaigns

Despite redistricting uncertainty, NY's Congressional representatives have been raising (and spending) campaign funds in advance of the 2022 mid-terms, with varying levels of success.  The census reduced NY from its current total of 27 congressional seats to 26.  Two incumbents - Republicans Lee Zeldin and Tom Reed - have announced they are not running for reelection leaving NY with 25 congressional incumbents who, at the moment, appear to be running for another term in 2022 and need money to fuel their campaigns.   

Below, I've listed each NY current representative by district number.  Using filings listed at www.fec.gov, I've tracked (1) the total amount raised by the candidate in 2021, which includes individual contributions, and money received from PACs and other political committees, including transfers from candidates' "victory funds";  (2) contributions from individual donors within the "2021 Raised" number to give a sense of how reliant candidates are on PAC and committee money in comparison to individuals; (3)  total money spent in 2021, (4) "cash on hand" in the campaign account as of December 31, 2020, (5) cash on hand as of September 20, 2021, and (6) "Raised Total" which adds to "2021 Riased" money raised by a candidate's "victory fund" that was not already transferred to the candidate's campaign account (which money, however, may not necessarily be available for direct campaign spending). 

[In addition to their regular campaign account, a number of New York representatives have Victory Funds (VF), which operate together with party committees, such as the DCCC (for Democrats).  The candidate may then transfer a portion of the VF revenue to their personal campaign account.  In 2021, this approach was used most actively by Hakeem Jeffries, who has transferred $546,431 (out of $1,314,845 raised) from his VF to his campaign and Elise Stefanik who has transferred $281,809 (from $566,279 raised) to her campaign.  Other representatives who have transferred more than $100,000 to their campaigns from VFs include Gregory Meeks, Ritchie Torres, and Sean Maloney.] 

                                   1.                   2                   3.                 4.                  5.                   6.     

CDREP.2021 Raised(Individuals)Spent 2021COH 2020COH 9/30/21Raised Total
1Zeldin687,721583,458804,518166,23649,439689,013
2Garbarino1,027,560359,184277,223131,854882,1911,082,560
3Suozzi1,766,6841,241,860546,2761,903,7033,151,1111,766,684
4Rice395,589208,714285,731189,845299,703395,589
5Meeks955,857342,785534,143779,7221,201,4361,267,422
6Meng560,680296,147201,777395,520754,423560,680
7Velazquez193,529139,029177,287310,382326,624193,529
8Jeffries2,224,0391,060,8571,580,8702,145,3222,788,4912,992,453
9Clarke231,43491,547234,48346,30243,254231,434
10Nadler492,152375,652298,948508,339701,543597,152
11Malliotakis1,494,1041,265,084328,96020,7961,188,0871,497,151
12C. Maloney1,363,674842,517564,011108,629916,0791,363,674
13Espaillat494,065399,315165,584113,577430,931494,065
14AOC6,413,4806,297,0864,920,9794,297,3835,789,8846,413,480
15Torres1,939,0601,688,291274,942389,6902,053,8082,055,293
16Bowman632,787601,750439,46277,474270,799632,787
17Jones1,809,1071,683,144368,871797,5882,237,8241,809,107
18SP Maloney1,688,8281,266,866865,858860,0021,682,9712,366,453
19Delgado2,453,6142,223,650506,4443,064,7895,011,9602,453,614
20Tonko585,495251,930345,595811,6601,051,560585,495
21Stefanik3,501,6412,998,6872,854,3071,983,5402,630,8753,786,111
22Tenney1,741,599830,8071,137,160400,1091,007,3061,819,499
23Reed686,614600,146745,682182,389123,322686,614
24Katko1,409,247586,906418,272272,0611,263,0371,409,247
25Morelle356,856179,809214,230160,175302,801366,856
26Higgins716,902422,361307,5611,111,0521,520,364716,902
27Jacobs451,761325,839228,75962,829285,831451,761
37,965,65438,684,625

NOTES:

Zeldin: Spending includes $380,000 transferred (7/11) to Zeldin campaign account for NY governor. 
Jacobs:   $550,000 owed by campaign is entirely personal loans from Jacobs to his campaign.
Carolyn Maloney:  $200,000 is owed by campaign in personal loan from Maloney to campaign.
Retiring representatives are highlighted in yellow. 
Source: www.fec.gov




Some numbers jump out. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is the undisputed champion of NY congressional fundraising.  Her receipts more than double those of any other NY representative in 2021 with the exception of Republican rising star Elise Stefanik in a distant second place.  Other impressive fundraisers are Brooklyn powerbroker Hakeem Jeffries, Antonio Delgado, Sean Maloney and freshmen Ritchie Torres. Stefanik doubles the closest Republican, Claudia Tenney.   Fundraising laggards in 2021 are Nydia Valazquez (only $193K raised), Yvette Clark and Kathleen Rice. 

Just as noteworthy as AOC's amazing haul is the fact that more than 98% of her 2021 fundraising comes from individual donors.  Only Jamaal Bowman (95%), Mondaire Jones (93%) and Antonio Delgado (91%) come close to this rate of individual donations as a percentage of total money raised. In stark contrast, only 35% of Long Island Republican Andrew Garbarino's funds come from individuals. 

And again, AOC's individual donations total more than doubles that of all other NY representatives in 2021, including Elise Stefanik, again in second place.   NYC Democrat Yvette Clark is far behind the rest with only having collected only $91,547 from individuals so far in 2021. 

AOC has also spent the most money in 2021 by far ($2million more than Stefanik). Even after spending nearly $1.5million on merch for her online store, AOC still holds more than $5.7million in cash in her account as of Sept. 30. Predictably, Stefanik and Jeffries are big spenders, along with Claudia Tenney, although much of her spending was related to her recount effort arising from the razor thin margin in the 2020 elections. 

In the effort to accumulate war chests before the campaigns season starts, AOC is followed, perhaps surprisingly by Antonio Delgado who holds just over $5million.  Delgado will need the funds as his district is expected to take a new shape after redistricting, although possibly more favorable to a Democrat.  Tom Suozzi from Nassau County is a distant third in "cash on hand."  Suozzi may face a reelection battle as he will probably gain more Republicans in a redrawn district as state Democrats seek to gerrymander away at least one of the two Republican districts on Long Island.  Incumbents in financial difficulties as we approach the 2022 campaign season are Yvette Clark (with a sobering $43,254 in her account) and freshman Jamaal Bowman with just $270,799.  Bowman's district is expected to be shifted mostly into Westchester County which, combined with his lackluster financial position, should start ringing alarm bells at his campaign headquarters.  Other cash poor campaigns, include far west Republican Chris Jacobs, Democrat Joe Morelle in Rochester, and, again, Nydia Velazquez and Kathleen Rice. 

Below are third quarter fundraising and spending totals (without adding in non-transferred victory fund money).  
CDREP.3Q Raised3Q Spent
1Zeldin49,846403,592
2Garbarino416,19795,065
3Suozzi1,049,776163,418
4Rice73,43996,459
5Meeks354,230164,795
6Meng181,86383,933
7Velazquez16,35139,598
8Jeffries881,980580,625
9Clarke105,780104,616
10Nadler175,100127,971
11Malliotakis553,071165,542
12C. Maloney473,441215,035
13Espaillat175,65075,988
14AOC1,679,7811,231,744
15Torres717,75595,102
16Bowman175,340140,324
17Jones559,289132,203
18SP Maloney521,118227,486
19Delgado665,189111,312
20Tonko192,200111,432
21Stefanik1,140,948611,262
22Tenney410,398175,457
23Reed3,60539,047
24Katko488,743143,569
25Morelle57,76798,416
26Higgins227,624154,169
27Jacobs187,71292,088

Tom Suozzi won 3Q by netting $886,358.  Zeldin transferred $380K to his NY state campaign account for his run for governor.  AOC spent $423,612 on non-itemized payments to a credit card company named "Veyond!." What is going on with Valazquez - raising $16,351 (just $6,851 from individuals!) this quarter - while spending $40K?  A few other Dems -  Kathleen Rice, Joe Morelle - also spent more than they raised, whle Yvette Clark barely broke even, and Jamaal Bowman netted just $35K. Chris Jacobs was the laggard among the six still active Republicans, raising $95K more than he spent, while Stefanik was, again, the second highest earner (behind AOC) in the state. .  .   

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