Rematch between Anthony D'Esposito and Laura Gillen eclipses 2022 spending

WASHINGTON — The rematch between first-term Republican Rep. Anthony D’Esposito and former Democratic Town of Hempstead Supervisor Laura Gillen already has surpassed the campaign spending in their 2022 faceoff in a district that is a top target for national Democrats.

Campaign finance reports out this week showed that first-term Republican Rep. Nick LaLota also faces a well-funded challenge from Democrat and former journalist John Avlon in an increasingly expensive race. The other two Long Island House members, Reps. Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport) and Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove), are outraising and outspending their challengers.

D’Esposito and LaLota’s campaigns are among a pivotal group of races in this year’s election, said Richard Briffault, a Columbia University law professor and expert on elections and campaign finance.

"There are only truly a handful of races — at most two dozen races in the entire country — that will determine the control of the House of Representatives in the next Congress. And these two are among them," Briffault told Newsday. "It’s not surprising there’s a lot of money."

In the much-watched race in the Democratic-leaning 4th Congressional District in central and southern Nassau County, D’Esposito, 42, of Island Park, seeks to fend off Gillen, 55, of Massapequa, in what top political handicappers call a toss-up election.

Already D’Esposito and Gillen have spent more for this election than they did in 2022.

Two years ago, D’Esposito spent a total of $1.3 million and Gillen $1.8 million in their race against each other. This year, as of Sept. 30, D'Esposito has spent $2.6 million and Gillen $2.7 million since they began their campaigns for 2024.

Both have plenty of money in the bank, as well as whatever money they continue to raise, to spend from Sept. 1 to the Nov. 5 election. D’Esposito said he had $1.7 million in cash and Gillen $3 million.

In reports to the Federal Election Commission for the July-to-September quarter, D’Esposito reported spending $1.3 million and raising $865,886, and Gillen said her campaign spent $1.9 million and raised $2.4 million.

Meanwhile, outside groups are flooding the web with $4.4 million in digital ads aimed at defeating D’Esposito. The only digital ads supporting him came from the National Restaurant Association’s expenditure of $71,100.

In the last three months, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee reported it spent nearly $3 million to pay for digital ads for Gillen, the House Majority PAC, $1.1 million; League of Conservation Voters, $150,300; and Everytown for Gun Safety, $100,000.

"A lot of money is going to the candidates from the outside groups, too," Briffault said.

Avlon v. LaLota

In the 1st Congressional District in Suffolk County, LaLota, 46, of Amityville, is on a path to spend more money than in his 2022 election campaign to retain his seat as he faces Avlon, 51, of Sag Harbor. The top three political handicappers rate the race as a likely LaLota win.

In his first election, LaLota spent $1.5 million. In this election so far, he has already spent $2.4 million. Avlon has spent nearly $2.7 million, but he may not top LaLota’s 2022 Democratic opponent, Nancy Goroff, who reported spending $7.9 million in her losing campaign.

In Tuesday’s FEC filings for the last quarter, LaLota’s campaign reported it raised $898,903, spent $1.5 million and had nearly $1.6 million in cash. Avlon’s campaign said it raised nearly $2.1 million, spent $969,580 and had $1.7 million in the bank.

Democratic outside groups WelcomePAC reported spending $95,000 and Indivisible Action $1,500 on digital ads opposing LaLota in the last quarter.

Lubin v. Garbarino

Garbarino, 40, who is seeking his third term representing the 2nd Congressional District on the South Shore in Suffolk County and a portion of Nassau County, reported that he raised $625,753 in the third quarter, spent $241,173 and had nearly $2.4 million in cash on hand.

His Democratic opponent Rob Lubin, 29, of Lindenhurst, is making his first foray into politics. He reported that he raised $107,394 during the quarter, spent $187,097 and had $245,336 in the bank. In the previous quarter, Lubin lent his campaign $150,000.

Handicappers rate the race as a safe seat for Garbarino.

LiPetri v. Suozzi

In his bid for a fourth full term after replacing ousted Rep. George Santos, Suozzi, 62, collected $1.2 million, spent $508,110 and had $2.4 million in hand, his campaign reported.

Republican former Assemb. Mike LiPetri, 34, of Massapequa, raised $358,384, spent $437,353 and had $142,422 in cash, his campaign said. In the previous quarter, LiPetri lent his campaign $25,000.

Sapraicone v. Gillibrand

In her bid for a third full term, Democratic U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, 57, of Albany, has outspent Republican Mike Sapraicone by a factor of 50-1 in the last quarter — nearly $10.7 million to $212,021, according to their FEC filings.

In the July-to-September period, Gillibrand’s campaign reported it raised $1.4 million and had $1.5 million in the bank. Sapraicone’s campaign said it raised $351,413 and had $339,404 in cash on hand.