After spending months pushing that he was the candidate for the people while his opponent was the candidate of lobbying interests, Zellnor Myrie made a strong case for his words by reporting over 4,000 more individual donations than Incumbent candidate State Sen. Jesse Hamilton.
Petitioning season is now over and the public was allowed a glimpse into the strength of individual finances of each campaign, and the numbers show that both candidates have raised amounts that exceed six-figures.
With the release of July campaign finance filing reports, which allows the public to see individual and total contributions given to political candidates, the status of the races become clearer by seeing who has the monetary advantages.
Myrie reported raising a total of $251,184 in his mid-year filing, with 98 percent of the donations coming from individuals, and the remaining 2% came from five political organizations that support his campaign.
The 98 percent of individual contributions came from a total of 4,405 donors, which crushes the reported 243 individual donations from Hamilton. The individual donations average out to a total of $57 for Myrie, with 92 percent of the donations being less than $100.
Meanwhile, the 243 donations received by Hamilton average to a total of $646 per donation, and only 33% of his individual donations were less than $100.
“Our campaign is being powered by thousands of small-dollar donors, and we wouldn’t have it any other way,” said Myrie, “By refusing to accept money from the real estate industry, corporate PACs, and other GOP backers, we’re showing the world where our loyalty lies – with working families in need of real Democratic representation. When elected, I will go to Albany with clean hands to fight with integrity for affordable housing and other progressive priorities.”
Myrie collected and filed more than 4,200 signatures, which he said were collected by going door to door and by attending and hosting events. He along with hundreds of volunteers easily surpassed the 1,000 necessary signatures required to get on the ballot in Senate District 20.
“I am so grateful for all the volunteers who dedicated countless hours to collecting petition signatures this summer,” Myrie said. “I would not be doing this without their support, and I am excited to keep working together to fight for the people of this district – who clearly want a choice on September 13. Our committed volunteers, support from progressive Democratic clubs, and grassroots donor base are what make this campaign so powerful.”
Perhaps the most controversial donation Hamilton received came in the form of 6 different donations totaling almost $130,000 from the Senate Independence Campaign Committee, which has ties to the Independent Democratic Conference, the group of senators that broke away from the Democrats and began conferenced with Republicans before disbanding earlier this year.
Hamilton filed 6600 petition sheets with the board of elections Monday. His campaign has over $210,000 on hand heading into the September primary. The campaign reported raising more than $300,000 since January.
“After today’s filing, I am confident about the strong show of support we have received across the district from community members, labor unions, and small businesses,” Hamilton said, “We have seen enthusiasm from all walks of life on our campaign priorities and the great work we have achieved so far in bettering our Brooklyn community. I look forward to continuing to spread this message and have more conversations with my constituents on the work we will do in the future.”
The Primary is Sept. 13. The 20th Senate district includes Brownsville, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Gowanus, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Prospect Lefferts Gardens, South Slope, and Sunset Park.
