New York donors gave $19.1M to Joe Biden and $4.1M to Donald Trump in past 15 months
This combination of pictures created on October 22, 2020 shows former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden. Credit: TNS/BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden continues to raise more campaign funds from New York than former president Donald Trump as the money race begins in earnest in this election year, recent filings with the Federal Election Commission show.
In the past 15 months, New Yorkers have contributed $19.1 million to the Biden for President campaign and $4.1 million to Trump for President, according to OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan tracker of political money.
“There's a lot of money in New York and a lot of interest in being able to tap into that money by candidates on both sides of the aisle,” said Michael Beckel, research director for Issue One, a Washington D.C. nonprofit that focuses on elections and democracy.
Long Islanders identified by name and address in filings of the presidential principal campaigns fund and top joint fundraising committees have given about $3 million to Biden and $2.3 to Trump, according to OpenSecrets and FEC data.
But that presents only a partial picture. Those dollar amounts exclude donations from small donors giving less than $200 and big donors giving thousands and millions to super PACs supporting a candidate that by law cannot coordinate with the candidate’s campaign.
“Presidential fundraising has changed dramatically,” said Democratic National Committeeman Robert Zimmerman of Great Neck.
“The small donor now has a seat at the table with the largest hedge fund operators,” Zimmerman said. “A meet-up at a coffee shop in Chelsea can raise as much as a Park Avenue cocktail party.”
Biden for President did not report the locations of small donors who gave a total of $30 million, or nearly half of the $61.3 direct contributions nationally, and Trump for President did not report the identities of about 40% of the $1.2 million in direct donations to it.
Nor did the presidential campaigns report money going to super PACs backing them.
Take the donors connected to Renaissance Technologies, a hedge fund with $100 billion in assets headquartered in East Setauket.
James Simons, its founder, and his wife Marilyn gave $3 million to Future Forward, a super PAC supporting Biden.
The hedge fund’s former CEO, Robert Mercer of East Setauket, in March contributed $814,399 to the Trump 47 Committee, a joint fundraising committee, and is expected to donate more as he did in the 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns.
Biden tapped into New York’s wealth Thursday by attending a fundraiser hosted by actor Michael Douglas at his Westchester home, just a month after former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton joined him in March at Radio City Music Hall event that raised $26 million.
As he did in 2020 and as three other Democratic presidential candidates did before him, Biden is counting on New Yorkers to give his campaign from two to four times as much money as they have to Trump and previous Republican candidates.
Nationally, Biden’s principal campaign fund has raised $170.6 million through the end of March, with $85.5 million in cash on hand, while Trump’s committee reported it had raised $114.7 million with $45.1 million on hand.
New Yorkers account for a tenth of Biden’s campaign funds — an amount second only to California donors. But they also contributed 4% of Trump’s campaign funds, making New York his fourth biggest donor state to the former president, according to OpenSecrets.
New York City donors contribute most of the funds, but Long Islanders also chip in.
“When you look at the wealthy areas on Long Island, they tend to be Democratic,” said Michael Dawidziak, a political consultant who works mostly with Republicans.
The Biden Victory Fund received $291,366 from donors in Garden City, $289,850 from contributors in Syosset and $262,725 from Setauket and East Setauket residents, an analysis of FEC data shows.
Trump’s Save America joint fundraising committee picked up $91,101 from donors in Northport, $66,884 from Garden City residents, and $38,337 from residents in Patchogue and East Patchogue, the analysis found.
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden continues to raise more campaign funds from New York than former president Donald Trump as the money race begins in earnest in this election year, recent filings with the Federal Election Commission show.
In the past 15 months, New Yorkers have contributed $19.1 million to the Biden for President campaign and $4.1 million to Trump for President, according to OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan tracker of political money.
“There's a lot of money in New York and a lot of interest in being able to tap into that money by candidates on both sides of the aisle,” said Michael Beckel, research director for Issue One, a Washington D.C. nonprofit that focuses on elections and democracy.
Long Islanders identified by name and address in filings of the presidential principal campaigns fund and top joint fundraising committees have given about $3 million to Biden and $2.3 to Trump, according to OpenSecrets and FEC data.
WHAT TO KNOW
- President Joe Biden continues to raise more campaign funds from New York than former president Donald Trump as the money race begins in earnest in this election year.
New Yorkers have contributed $19.1 million to the Biden for President campaign and $4.1 million to Trump for President In the past 15 months, according to a nonpartisan tracker of political money.
The numbers only presents a partial picture because they exclude donations from small donors giving less than $200 and from big donors giving thousands and millions to super PACs.
But that presents only a partial picture. Those dollar amounts exclude donations from small donors giving less than $200 and big donors giving thousands and millions to super PACs supporting a candidate that by law cannot coordinate with the candidate’s campaign.
“Presidential fundraising has changed dramatically,” said Democratic National Committeeman Robert Zimmerman of Great Neck.
“The small donor now has a seat at the table with the largest hedge fund operators,” Zimmerman said. “A meet-up at a coffee shop in Chelsea can raise as much as a Park Avenue cocktail party.”
Biden for President did not report the locations of small donors who gave a total of $30 million, or nearly half of the $61.3 direct contributions nationally, and Trump for President did not report the identities of about 40% of the $1.2 million in direct donations to it.
Nor did the presidential campaigns report money going to super PACs backing them.
Take the donors connected to Renaissance Technologies, a hedge fund with $100 billion in assets headquartered in East Setauket.
James Simons, its founder, and his wife Marilyn gave $3 million to Future Forward, a super PAC supporting Biden.
The hedge fund’s former CEO, Robert Mercer of East Setauket, in March contributed $814,399 to the Trump 47 Committee, a joint fundraising committee, and is expected to donate more as he did in the 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns.
Blue state money
Biden tapped into New York’s wealth Thursday by attending a fundraiser hosted by actor Michael Douglas at his Westchester home, just a month after former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton joined him in March at Radio City Music Hall event that raised $26 million.
As he did in 2020 and as three other Democratic presidential candidates did before him, Biden is counting on New Yorkers to give his campaign from two to four times as much money as they have to Trump and previous Republican candidates.
Nationally, Biden’s principal campaign fund has raised $170.6 million through the end of March, with $85.5 million in cash on hand, while Trump’s committee reported it had raised $114.7 million with $45.1 million on hand.
New Yorkers account for a tenth of Biden’s campaign funds — an amount second only to California donors. But they also contributed 4% of Trump’s campaign funds, making New York his fourth biggest donor state to the former president, according to OpenSecrets.
New York City donors contribute most of the funds, but Long Islanders also chip in.
“When you look at the wealthy areas on Long Island, they tend to be Democratic,” said Michael Dawidziak, a political consultant who works mostly with Republicans.
The Biden Victory Fund received $291,366 from donors in Garden City, $289,850 from contributors in Syosset and $262,725 from Setauket and East Setauket residents, an analysis of FEC data shows.
Trump’s Save America joint fundraising committee picked up $91,101 from donors in Northport, $66,884 from Garden City residents, and $38,337 from residents in Patchogue and East Patchogue, the analysis found.
