The Queens DA race’s fundraising battle
With just weeks until the June 25 Democratic primary for Queens district attorney, Borough President Melinda Katz leads the seven candidates in fundraising.
The latest state Board of Elections records list her campaign as having a balance of $907,019. But it also has $306,100 in liabilities, most of the money owed to the Brooklyn-based Red Horse Strategies consulting firm.
Katz, whom the Queens County Democratic machine supports, has spent $496,324.02 in the last four months of her campaign. She raised $560,151 in the same time period. The candidate had transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars from other campaign accounts early in the DA race.
Individual donations — 300 of them are listed — made up for $318,101 of the funds she raised in her district attorney campaign account in the most recent cycle. During the same time period, she also received thousands in contributions from groups like the Real Estate Board of New York, the Rent Stabilization Association landlord lobby group and unions like the Hotel Trades Council.
Despite not being the top fundraiser, public defender Tiffany Cabán received more individual donations in the last cycle — 2,545 — than all of her rivals combined. Most of the contributions were under $100. She is not taking corporate or real estate industry money.
A small army of grassroots volunteers is supporting the candidate, who last week was endorsed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Queens, Bronx). Cabán is also backed by the Democratic Socialists of America, the New Queens Democrats and other nonestablishment activist groups.
Overall, she raised $256,673 in the last fundraising cycle and spent $105,317. The BOE lists her campaign’s closing balance as $151,356.
Gregory Lasak, a former judge and Queens prosecutor running in the DA contest, started the last fundraising cycle with $683,106. He raised $444,745 in it and spent $747,849. His balance is $380,571.
City Council Justice System Committee Chairman Rory Lancman (D-Fresh Meadows) has $529,116 left to spend in the last weeks of the race. He spent $655,371 and raised $246,158 in the most recent disclosure cycle, having started it with $683,106.
Mina Malik, a former prosecutor who used to head the Civilian Complaint Review Board, raised $397,394 in the last fundraising period. She spent $543,748, giving her a closing balance of $64,896. Malik and her husband loaned her campaign $210,000.
In the most recent fundraising cycle, ex-Nassau County Assistant District Attorney Betty Lugo spent $76,562 and raised $57,627. BOE records list her has having $21,064 left to spend.
Former state prosecutor Jose Nieves has a balance of just $5,339. He raised $69,647 in the last four months and spent $76,438.
Queens District Attorney Richard Brown, who was appointed to the position by Gov. Mario Cuomo in 1991, died last month. He had announced he would retire earlier in the year. Since his death, Assistant District Attorney John Ryan has been serving as acting district attorney.