×

FEC filings show a good quarter for Tedra Cobb; Elise Stefanik still ahead

The three candidates to represent New York's 21st Congressional District are incumbent U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, a Republican who calls Willsboro home; Lynn Kahn of Schroon Lake, running on the Green Party line; and Tedra Cobb, a Democrat from Canton. (Photos provided)

Democratic challenger Tedra L. Cobb outraised the Republican incumbent, U.S. Rep. Elise M. Stefanik, R-Willsboro, in the third quarter of the year, although Cobb still trails well behind the congresswoman in total funds and cash on hand.

This information is based on filings posted to the Federal Election Commission website. They have been rounded to the nearest dollar.

Cobb has raised a total of $1,169,124 this cycle and $706,508 this quarter. Stefanik has raised $2,275,630, with $533,216 of that this quarter. Cobb has spent a total of $615,729 and Stefanik has spent $1,730,213.

Cobb claimed to have raised about $715,000 this quarter before the FEC filing was released, according to them a total of $7,789 was transferred from an authorized committee and documented separately from the raw quarterly filing, bringing the total amount raised this quarter to $714,297.

Stefanik still has $1,344,526 in cash on hand while Cobb has $553,395 in cash on hand.

Both campaigns claimed the filings as a win.

“Congresswoman Stefanik has proudly earned the overwhelming support of Republican, Democrat and Independent voters for her bipartisan record of delivering real results for the north country,” wrote Stefanik campaign spokesman Lenny Alcivar in an email to the Times. “With more than $1.3 million on hand for the final three weeks of this campaign, Elise will continue to outwork her Democratic opponent and is going to win on Election Day.”

The Cobb campaign said the numbers showed Stefanik had little local support.

“Elise Stefanik has played politics in Washington, D.C. her entire adult life — her voting record shows it and her campaign treasury shows it,” Ms. Cobb was quoted as saying in a press release. “Now, after accepting more than $1 million from corporate special interests in this election cycle alone, Rep. Stefanik is calling on the most unpopular speaker in history to come to Northern New York and help salvage her campaign.”

House Speaker Paul Ryan appeared with Stefanik on Tuesday at a fundraiser in Saratoga Springs as part of a trip to visit 25 Republican House candidates. Tickets were $250 per person with $1,000 for a photo opportunity with Mr. Ryan.

According to Open Secrets, a website that examines political spending, Cobb has raised 24 percent of her funds from small individual contributions — those under $200 — amounting to $280,769 total. Seventy percent of her funding comes from individual contributions over $200 and about five percent from Political Action Committees.

Stefanik has raised about five percent of her funding from small individual contributions, a total of $119,178. About 33 percent of her funding is from large individual contributions and 52 percent is from PACs.

Cobb’s biggest donation over the course of the campaign is a total of $11,234 from Stand For New York. According to her spokesman, Brian Phillips, Jr., this is a joint fundraising committee from an event Cobb did with Democratic candidate Antonio Delgado in the 19th District. Phillips said all the donations are from individuals and are listed separately as well.

Cobb also received $5,000 from the Off The Sidelines PAC, a leadership PAC associated with Sen. Kirsten E. Gillibrand, D-NY, and from D.R.I.V.E. PAC, association with the Teamsters Union, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers PAC and United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local #773 Voluntary PAC.

Notable donations this quarter for Cobb include $1,100 from former New York 21 Democratic candidate Aaron Woolf and $1,000 from the campaign of Don Boyajian, who dropped out of the congressional race just before the Democratic primary. She also received a maximum donation of $2,700 from Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s campaign, which also donated to the other eight Democratic House candidates facing incumbent Republicans in the state.

She previously received $2,000 from the election committee of former NY-21 Democratic Rep. Bill Owens and this quarter received $2,000 from the campaign of the deceased U.S. Rep. Louise Slaughter in NY-25.

According to Open Secrets, Stefanik’s largest donation this cycle is $76,790, from Winning Women Victory 2018, a joint fundraising committee that supports Stefanik, Claudia Tenney in the 22nd Congressional District, and three other Republican women across the country. She also received $67,286 from the Elise Victory Fund, another joint fundraising committee.

Among individuals, Stefanik has received the maximum $5,400 individual donations from five members of the DeVos family — the prominent conservative family that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos married into. Over the course of the campaign she has also received donations from former members of the George W. Bush White House, where she worked, including $1,000 from Ari Fleischer, Mr. Bush’s former press secretary, and $5,400 from former Chief of Staff Joshua B. Bolten.

Notable donations this quarter to the Stefanik campaign include $2,700 each from Bill and Melinda Gates, $2,000 from former Gov. George E. Pataki and $1,000 from the St. Regis Mohawk Tribes.

As far as expenses, Cobb spent $55,000 on printing this quarter, $35,000 on fundraising consultations and $34,500 on two polls. She also paid 76 Words, a media production company, $18,900 in September and spent $18,000 on legal fees.

During the third quarter, Stefanik’s campaign spent over $400,000 on media, which included consulting, ad buys and more. There are no line items for the third quarter for any polling.

Lynn S. Kahn, the Green Party candidate, has not filed a report yet with the FEC for the third quarter.

Her spokesman, Paul Paterakis, said she has not raised the $5,000 that would trigger an FEC filing.

“Most candidates become salespeople,” Paterakis said. “She’s not going to be able to raise enough to do a Hollywood-style ad.”

Instead, Paterakis said, Kahn continues meeting with district residents. He said she has raised probably over $1,000, with the largest donation being $500 from the Warren County Green Party before the June filing deadline.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.75/week.

Subscribe Today