The race for the 46th district state assembly seat has revealed itself to be a race of separation as all three candidates reported different campaign contributions for the July filing period.
All three candidates have surpassed the required amount of signatures needed to appear on the ballot in September and November, but Democratic candidate Ethan Lustig-Elgrably has raised more than his two opponents, Republican Steve Saperstein, and fellow Democrat Mathlyde Frontus.
The three candidates are running to replace former Democratic Assemblywoman Pamela Harris, who resigned after facing counts of felony fraud, and for which she took a guilty plea.
According to the New York campaign finance website, Lustig-Elgrably raised $84,540.86 for the July filing period. Among the contributions he took was $1,000 from the New York Hotel Trades Council. Lustig-Elgrably notably spoke out against the shared housing economy after receiving an endorsement from the council, and at the time said his campaign did not receive any money from the union.
His campaign submitted over 2,100 signatures from the Democratic Party, Women’s Equality Party, and Independence Party lines.
“These numbers show that our message is really resonating, and I am proud to have support throughout our community. The people of Southern Brooklyn deserve strong, reliable leadership in the Assembly, and I am ready to deliver real results on the issues that matter most: education, transportation infrastructure, and quality of life,” said Lustig-Elgrably.
Frontus, who is running against Lustig-Elgrably for the Democratic nomination, also went above the necessary count in collecting signatures for being on the ballot.
Her campaign has $15.174.78 cash on hand, per the New York State Board of elections. Frontus said she is confident in her campaign as the election draws closer.
“My campaign has raised over $25,000, a great portion of it coming from individual donors who reside in the 46th Assembly District. We also collected over 1500 petition signatures, more than 3x the required amount needed to get on the ballot. As a grassroots movement, we are still receiving donations and endorsements and are excited about the momentum which has been building from all corners of the district,” she said.
On the Republican side, Saperstein collected 2,500 signatures from across multiple party lines in the hopes of rallying together a large group of supporters to try to flip the seat red.
“Our petition efforts were incredibly robust this year. We had a great door to door operation targeting thousands of fired up Republican, Conservative, Independence and Reform party voters ready for a change. We filed significantly more signatures than required, showcasing the enthusiasm regarding our campaign with voters across all parties eager to join our movement of holding Albany accountable. Excitement amongst grassroots activists and voters in the 46th Assembly District is building which is keeping my team and I energized,” Saperstein said.
Saperstein reported raising $50,037.00 with $4,791.01 in expenses, leaving his campaign with $45,295.99 cash on hand heading towards the September filing.
Although Saperstein is behind Lustig-Elgrably in donations, he did launch his campaign almost a month after Lustig-Elgrably.
“We are thrilled with our July Filing. Having just begun a little over two months ago, we are off to a great start. People have contacted us looking to support this race and thanks to the overwhelming interest from voters tired of corruption in Albany, we are planning several more fundraising events for later this summer and into the fall. I would anticipate our campaign doubling the amount raised, shocking whoever the machine Democrats decide to put up against our movement,” Saperstein said.
The primary election is Sept. 13 and the general election is Nov. 6. The district includes Coney Island, Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights and a slice of Brighton Beach.
