Suffolk County executive race: Ed Romaine has $1.5M, David Calone has $1M

Republican Edward P. Romaine has $1,539,352 in the race for Suffolk County executive and Democrat David Calone has $1,019,685 heading into the final stretch, according to campaign reports filed Friday.

Romaine, the Brookhaven Town supervisor since 2012, and Calone, a former federal and state prosecutor who now leads an investment firm, are running to replace Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, a Democrat who is term-limited after serving 12 years. The four-year term comes with a $234,124 salary. Election Day is Nov. 7.

Calone has raised $526,390 since mid-July compared to Romaine's haul of $460,021, new state campaign filings show. The reports cover fundraising from July 13 through Oct. 6.

Calone said he is "proud to have broad support from labor unions, business folks, and people from across Suffolk County." 

The Romaine campaign deferred comment to Suffolk County GOP chairman Jesse Garcia, who said the filings show Romaine is "getting a lot of support from small, medium, [and] large donations. From people who have an interest, either economically — based on having small businesses in the region — or average voters."

Calone's largest contribution this cycle came from Cayley Tullman, president of the Tullman Family Office, who gave $50,000. An address in Alexandria, Virginia, was listed along with the donation. The Tullman Family Office contributes to businesses as well as philanthropic and political causes

Michael Rubin, chief executive of Fanatics, a manufacturer of sports merchandise with offices in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, gave $25,000. Rubin previously owned a stake in the Philadelphia 76ers and has a house in the Hamptons. Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of American Vogue and chief content officer of Condé Nast, contributed $5,000. Wintour owns a home in Mastic Beach.

Local donors included Joseph Campolo of Stony Brook, who gave $5,000. Campolo is managing partner of Campolo, Middleton & McCormick LLP. Dorothy Lichtenstein, president of the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation, gave $2,500. Robert Epley, a former Southampton Village mayor, gave $2,500.

Calone has loaned his campaign a total of $750,000 since 2022, filings show. He loaned $250,000 in July 2022, another $250,000 in January 2023 and an additional $250,000 in July 2023.

The largest donation to Romaine, 76, of Center Moriches, this cycle was $50,000 from JAT Capital Partners LP of Greenwich, Connecticut. Hedge fund manager John Thaler founded the firm in 2020.

Former GOP U.S. Sen. Alfonse D'Amato of Island Park, contributed $10,000.

Romaine received $14,000 from the Suffolk County Correction Officers Association PAC. The Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association gave $2,750. New York Cancer & Blood Specialists contributed $10,000.

Since July, Calone's campaign has spent $1.88 million, while the Romaine campaign has spent $461,521, state filings show.

Calone, 50, of Setauket, spent $1.1 million on television commercials, nearly five times more than the $240,395 Romaine's campaign spent, according to filings.

By Scott Eidler

scott.eidler@newsday.com@ScottEidler

Scott Eidler is a deputy editor for the towns department at Newsday. Scott has worked at Newsday since 2012 and previously covered municipal government and education.