Laura Curran campaign fundraising hits $2 million, report shows 

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran raised $834,903 between mid-July 2020 and mid-January 2021, bringing her reelection campaign fundraising to more than $2 million, state campaign filings show.

Curran, 53, a Democrat from Baldwin, had an opening balance of $1,489,727 in July, according to her report filed with the state Board of Elections for the period from July 11 to Jan. 12.

She is seeking a second four-year term in November.

"The strength of this filing shows the depth of the support in Nassau County for the county executive," Curran campaign spokesman Max Kramer said in a statement.

"She heads into her reelection year with the wind at her back and a broad coalition behind her in her fight to continue our recovery, protect taxpayers and lead Nassau forward for another four years," Kramer said.

No potential Republican challenger has filed financial disclosures for the county executive's race, and the Nassau Republican Committee has not announced a candidate to oppose Curran.

Nassau Republican Committee chairman Joseph Cairo said the party was "in conversations with several top-level candidates, all of whom are poised to mount a vigorous campaign to win the race for Nassau County executive."

Asked about Curran's $2 million in fundraising so far, Cairo said the GOP "will raise the funds needed to carry our message to voters."

According to Curran's disclosure report, Simon Property Group Inc., the Indianapolis-based owner of Roosevelt Field in Garden City, was the campaign's largest donor with a $25,000 contribution on Sept. 18.

Curran had advocated in June for indoor shopping malls to reopen under Phase 2 of the state's reopening plan. Initially, malls were in Phase 4 of the state's plan for resuming in-person shopping, which was curtailed in order to limit spread of the coronavirus.

The Curran campaign's largest receipt from an individual was $20,000 from Port Washington philanthropist Karli Hagedorn, chairperson of the Friends of the Sands Point Preserve, and wife of Jim Hagedorn, CEO of the Scotts Miracle-Gro lawn care company, campaign show.

Other contributions to Curran included: $15,000 from philanthropist Diana Riklis of Manhattan and Atlantic Beach; $10,000 from Elaine Langone, wife of Home Depot co-founder and billionaire Republican donor Ken Langone; and $5,000 from Manhasset financier Anthony Scaramucci, who for 10 days in 2017 served as former President Donald Trump's White House communications director.

Curran campaign officials declined to comment on specific contributions.

Curran's campaign spent $265,619 over the report's six-month period, including $77,949 to Tucker Green & Co., a political fundraising consulting firm in Manhattan; $11,800 to the reelection campaign of State Sen. Kevin Thomas (D-Garden City) and $5,000 to the reelection campaign of State Sen. Anna Kaplan (D-Great Neck).

State filings also showed Nassau Comptroller Jack Schnirman raised $173,359 for the July-January period, bringing his reelection campaign's closing balance to $515,205.

For much of his first term as county comptroller, Schnirman, 43, a Democrat and former Long Beach city manager, was under investigation for taking a $108,000 separation payment before he left for his county post.

In October, Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas, a Democrat, declined to file charges against Schnirman and other Long Beach officials in a payout probe.

While Singas said Schnirman "personally accepted a payment much more generous than provided-for by the plain language of his contract," she found the evidence did not meet New York's burden to file official misconduct charges.

Schnirman returned more than $50,000 of his payout to the City of Long Beach in 2019.

Riklis also was among Schnirman's largest contributors, giving the campaign $20,000 on Jan. 5.

Schnirman's campaign spent $61,671 over the six-month reporting period, according to the report, including to Tucker Green for consulting services, and for catering for fundraisers.

By Candice Ferrette

candice.ferrette@newsday.comcandiceferrette

Candice Ferrette covers Nassau County government and politics on Long Island. She has been a reporter at Newsday since 2011.