Suffolk exec hopeful has a friend in a high place

Daily Point

Dave Calone's Colorado connection

When they were undergraduate politicians at Princeton University, Dave Calone handily defeated Jared Polis for student body president. The two Ivy Leaguers remained friends after college and eventually became business partners together.

Now Polis is governor of Colorado and Calone is the Democratic candidate for Suffolk County executive.

And Tuesday evening, the two old pals reunite for a sort of Rocky Mountain political high in Manhattan at a Calone fundraiser featuring Polis, the first openly gay governor in Colorado's history.

"Dave has been a good friend for a long time,” Polis told The Point in a text message relayed by his spokesman. “Having seen him through his years as a prosecutor holding criminals accountable and working with him in business and as an innovator, I know he will make a terrific Suffolk County Executive.”

Calone said their Princeton friendship paved their way into politics. "I first met Jared in college when we ran against each other for student body president,” said Calone, now 49. “After I won the race, I asked him to join my cabinet because he is the kind of innovative problem-solver I like to work with. We worked well together and became good friends, which we have remained since.”

Calone's campaign hopes to raise as much as $100,000 at Tuesday's event being held at a private residence. (Of course, The Point asked if we could attend but we were told the press was not invited.)

The out-of-town money will add to Calone's sizable campaign war chest of about $1.7 million, more than the estimated $1 million raised so far by his GOP opponent, Brookhaven Supervisor Edward P. Romaine, according to both camps. On July 17, all state candidates up for election in November must report on their latest finances. It should provide a better look at how much money Calone's campaign will have to spend in trying to overcome Romaine, 76, a well-known former county legislator and county clerk. Campaign records show Polis already donated $20,000 last December to Calone's campaign, along with donations from several other Colorado residents. Calone's camp estimates that about 30% of its money collected so far has come from out of Suffolk — something Romaine is expected to try to make into an issue.

In this campaign, Calone is stressing his experience as a former prosecutor — for both the U.S. Justice Department and later for the New York State attorney general — as well as a private businessman in comparing himself to Romaine with his lengthy experience in government. Polis and Calone were leaders in two venture capital firms, Jovian Holdings and Jove Equity Partners, which helped start and invested in dozens of companies. Calone previously served on the Suffolk Planning Commission, which reviews zoning matters and special permits, but he said that none of his private ventures conflicted with his role on that government panel.

“Together, Governor Polis and I have grown companies right here on Long Island and also across the country, created jobs, saved people money on healthcare, and supported veterans seeking to start small businesses,” said Calone in a statement to The Point. “None of my business ventures have intersected with my public service. I have completely avoided any conflict between my business and my non-elected leadership roles within the county.”

Known as a libertarian Democrat, Polis served in Congress for a decade before he was elected Colorado’s governor in 2018 and reelected in 2022. Polis and his husband have two children and he’s been an outspoken advocate for the LGBTQ rights movement. Calone said he’s learned a lot from watching his friend’s tenure as leader of a state and hopes to bring it to Suffolk County, with its 1.5 million people.

“I’ve enjoyed watching Governor Polis be an innovative leader for Colorado and he inspires me with how he has used his business skills to improve Colorado’s government, make it more efficient, and drive job creation there,” said Calone. “ I am grateful that we are at a point in our country where he can be open about who he is, be able to marry the person he loves, be a great dad to his kids, and be a terrific leader for his state. When I am Suffolk County Executive, Suffolk will be a place free of discrimination against any community.”

— Thomas Maier thomas.maier@newsday.com

Pencil Point

Mercury rising

For more cartoons, visit www.newsday.com/nationalcartoons

Quick Points

Surprise, no surprise

• New cameras that catch drivers speeding through work sites issued fewer tickets to drivers on Long Island than in other parts of the state because of what was described as “quality control” issues. We all know it wasn’t because Long Island has fewer speeders.
• Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told Chinese officials during her visit to that country not to let disagreements over trade affect cooperation on issues like climate change. Funny, but Chinese officials could tell Yellen not to let disagreements over climate change affect trade.
• President Joe Biden wants Ukraine in NATO but says the country can’t be admitted until the war with Russia ends. The end would come more quickly if the Ukrainians had more offensive weapons — perhaps like the cluster bombs Biden just agreed to send? You see where this is going.
• Republican presidential candidate and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum said, “We need a president that’s focused on the challenges that we’re being faced as a nation, not a president that’s going to decide whether a book is in the right section or not in a library in a small town somewhere in America.” Hopefully, Burgum was addressing that to a number of candidates, not just one.
• President Joe Biden says that people, including some Democratic supporters, are “not right or wrong” in thinking he should step aside because of his age. Isn’t indecisiveness supposed to be a symptom of aging?
• Sunday’s heavy rains had one clear impact on travel: On many roads, the rivers of water were flowing faster than the traffic.

— Michael Dobie michael.dobie@newsday.com