A Campaign Figures Preview
January 14th, 2008
The latest six-month filing figures for candidates seeking office in the next citywide election will be released tomorrow. Though the election is less than two years away, it’s never too early to start loading bank accounts for some candidates seeking citywide office.
And already some candidates’ accounts have gotten noticed in the press. (We will give you an update tomorrow when the Campaign Finance Board releases all the figures.)
It seems Rep. Anthony Weiner – a mayoral candidate – has banked nearly $1.3 million in the last six months, while City Comptroller William Thompson leads the prospective mayoral field with a total of $4.2 million (He raised a little over $1 million in this six-month period).
Comptroller candidates and council members Melinda Katz and David Yassky both reportedly raised about $600,000, while council members Simcha Felder and Eric Gioia have more than $1 million each on hand.
There is one candidate, however, who is playing up his relatively small filing number: none other than City Hall maverick, Councilmember Tony Avella.
Avella raised $77, 000 during the last campaign finance filing period, bringing his total for the race to $180,000.
Here’s a snippet from his press release:
“Avella, who receives donations as small as $5 and $10 said, ‘While my future opponents are raising huge amounts of money from special interest groups, such as the real estate industry, I prefer to concentrate on donations from everyday New Yorkers.’
‘It is time to change the political landscape for the better by demonstrating that a true grassroots campaign can be won, without selling your soul to raise large sums of money,’ Avella added.”
By Courtney Gross on January 14, 2008, 2:03 pmIn category: Electoral Politics, Gotham City, Governing | No Comments »

