Harris outraised Trump three to one on Long Island in August

WASHINGTON — In Vice President Kamala Harris' first full month as the Democratic presidential candidate, she raised three times as much as Republican Donald Trump on Long Island and eight times as much across New York State, Federal Election Commission filings show.

The Harris for President campaign fund collected $1.1 million from Long Islanders as part of the $11.4 million it gleaned from New Yorkers in August. The Donald J. Trump for President 2024 fund raised $373,627 from Long Island and $1.4 million statewide.

Harris has reaped a windfall of campaign funds since Democrats backed her to replace President Joe Biden after he withdrew from the ticket. August is the second month in a row that Harris’ campaign fund has outraised Trump’s nationally, in New York and on Long Island, a Newsday analysis of FEC filings found.

Harris’ committee reported it raised $189.6 million nationally, spent $173.8 million, and had $235.5 million in cash on hand. Trump's said it collected $44.5 million across the country, spent $61.3 million and had $134.6 million in the bank.

Harris’ campaign said it has continued to raise record sums in September, including $47 million in the 24 hours after she debated Trump on Sept. 10 and $27 million at a standing room only fundraiser in Manhattan’s financial district on Sunday.

Campaigns almost always come down to persuasion and turnout, said Michael Dawidziak, a political consultant who often advises Republicans. But he said campaigns focus on fundraising to cover the cost of accomplishing those tasks.

"Trump clearly has to spend it on persuasion, but he probably doesn't have to spend it on turnout," Dawidziak said. With a base of supporters that is less consistent in voting, he said, "Democrats have to invest heavily in turnout efforts."

Long Island

The map of Long Island contributions to Harris and Trump aligns with the map of Democratic or Republican majorities, though the filings show a stronger surge in donations for Harris than Trump.

Long Island contributions represented just 10% of Harris’ contributions from New York, but 27% of Trump’s New York total, Newsday’s analysis found, a reflection of New York City contributions of $6.4 million to Harris but only about $390,000 to Trump.

On Long Island, Harris collected $666,033 in Suffolk County and $464,794 in Nassau County. Trump raised $190,544 in Suffolk and $183,083 in Nassau.

The Harris campaign also raised more than $10,000 each from 30 towns, including $71,197 in East Hampton, $48,728 in Sag Harbor, $39,965 in Port Washington, $33,747 in Southampton and $28,852 in Huntington, the analysis found.

Those contribution figures illustrate the political transformation of the East End, Dawidziak said. "The East End is getting more and more Democratic all the time." 

The Trump campaign's top five collections from towns included $13,102 in Smithtown, $10,116 in Massapequa, $8,932 in Manhasset, $8,681 in Oyster Bay and $8,083 in Merrick. Dawidziak said that list is exactly where Republican bastions are on Long Island.

Small and large donors

New Yorkers gave more on average to Harris’ campaign than to Trump’s.

Harris supporters in New York gave an average of $147 each to her campaign, while Trump supporters contributed about $50 each to his campaign, often in amounts as small as $1 or $5 repeatedly over time.

On Long Island, Harris contributors gave an average of $122 to her campaign fund and Trump donors contributed an average of about $47, an analysis of the filings show.

But Trump also benefits from large donors to super PACS and other political funds that support his bid to reclaim the presidency but by law must operate independently from the Trump campaign.

In August, for example, the presidents of two Wall Street firms boosted outside spending for Trump. Howard Lutnick, president of Cantor Fitzgerald, and Paul Singer, president of Elliott Investment Management, each contributed $5 million to the Make America Great Again PAC.

No New Yorkers gave more than $1 million in August to the Future Forward super PAC supporting Harris. But in May former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg donated $19 million and the late James Simons, founder of Renaissance Technologies, gave $9.1 million.