Donald Trump Victory Can Not Give Republican Control Of The State, Says Michael Gianari

Michael Gianari

As the battle for control of the state Senate begins in earnest, so has the fight for fund-raising dollars.
With less than four months before the November elections, the state Senate GOP will report later this week having about $3.4 million combined in its two main accounts, significantly more than the approximately $750,000 the Dems are set to reveal having on hand in their two accounts.
But for the Republicans, the total is $2 million less than what was in the bank during the same period in 2012, the last presidential year.

Of the $3.4 million on hand as of this month, GOP officials say more than $2.6 million is sitting in the account used to help candidates directly — $200,000 or so more than in the last filing in mid-May.


For the Dems, the combined cash on hand in the two accounts should be slightly less than four years ago, but without the $1.45 million debt the campaign committee had back then.

After zeroing out their main account during a special election win on Long Island in April, the Senate Dems say they have replenished it with more than $600,000 raised since mid-May.
Even so, Senate Republican Campaign Committee Chairwoman Catharine Young argues the GOP's continued fund-raising advantage is an indication it can hold on to power this year.

"We're not going to rest until we do everything possible to protect the majority, ensure checks and balances remain, and keep (Mayor) de Blasio and the New York City radicals from running roughshod all over the state," Young said..


Despite it being a presidential year that traditionally favors Democrats in heavily blue New York, Young insists "all the metrics are in our favor."

She said presumptive Democrat presidential nominee Hillary Clinton is weakest on Long Island and upstate, where many of the state Senate battles will be fought. And she pushed the GOP message of having delivered more education funding, parity between upstate and downstate transportation funding, and a $4.2 billion multi-year middle class tax cut while the Dems raised billions of dollars in taxes when they last controlled the chamber in 2009 and 2010.

Young also cited the potential that the criminal probe into de Blasio's 2014 fund-raising operation on behalf of the Senate Democrats could leave some donors fearful to give this time around.
But Senate Democrats say they are actually in a stronger position to recapture control of the chamber despite the traditional fund-raising advantage of the Republicans.


Democratic Senate Campaign Committee Chairman Michael Gianaris said that during the last presidential cycle, the state Senate Dems managed to pick up four seats despite a much larger fund-raising gap, a lingering debt, and fewer incumbents running.

"We're better positioned than we ever have been," Gianaris said.
It also helps the down ticket Dems, he said, that Donald Trump will be the GOP presidential nominee.

"The Republicans can enjoy themselves running away from the top of their ticket as fast as they can but they are now the party of Donald Trump, so good luck to them," Gianaris said.
The Democrats have a numerical majority in the chamber but are not in control because six dissident Dems have aligned with the Republicans. Gianaris says picking up at least one-seat and a deal with five of the dissident Dems would swing control to the Dems.

A Super PAC pushing for enactment of a controversial education tax credit to benefit private and parochial schools is targeting Bronx Democratic state Sen. Gustavo Rivera and three Assembly Democratic incumbents in the upcoming Sept.13 primaries, records show.

The PAC, New Yorkers for Independent Action, has already reported spending nearly $256,000 of the $2.78 million it has raised since January on polling and campaign literature in the districts represented by Rivera and Assembly members Phil Ramos (D-Suffolk County), Pamela Harris (D-Brooklyn), and Latrice Walker (D-Brooklyn).

The PAC reported it is supporting Councilman Fernando Cabrera against Rivera, Giovanni Mata against Ramos, former Assembly aide Kate Cucco against Harris, and City Councilwoman Darlene Mealey against Walker.


Former state Sen. Ruth Hassell-Thompson saw a nice pay raise by recently jumping from the Legislature to Cuomo's office as a special advisor at the state housing division.

Hassell-Thompson in her last financial disclosure filing as a legislator made public last week reported that her new job is paying her $130,000 a year, well above the $94,000 combined salary and leadership stipend she received as a senator.