By Michelle Han
Although the 2001 city elections are still more than a year away, candidates for Queens' city council seats and the borough presidency have been busy building their campaign war chests in the last several months.
Flushing's John Liu, a Queens Civic Congress vice president and candidate for City Council from District 20, led the pack in fund-raising among candidates participating in the city's matching funds program as of this month.
Liu has raised $100,155 so far, according to filings made public by the city's Campaign Finance Board on July 17.
Under the city's optional matching funds program, candidates receive $4 for every $1 in contributions under $250 and are subject to closer public scrutiny than those who are not participating in the program. The candidates are also subject to limits on spending.
City Councilman Sheldon Leffler (D-Hollis), who is running for borough president, came in second among the borough's filers for 2001, with $79,221 in his campaign war chest, records show.
Melinda Katz, director of community boards for Borough President Claire Shulman, had $63,312 and Shulman had $60,302. Neither Katz nor Shulman, who cannot run for re-election because of term limits, has disclosed what offices they are seeking in 2001. Shulman has said she does not plan to retire from politics.
Katz, who ran unsuccessfully in a four-way race for U.S. Anthony Weiner's (D-Forest Hills) seat in 1998, is the former state assemblywoman from Forest Hills and is active in the Queens County Democratic Organization.
The 14 City Council members from Queens, along with all city officials who have held their offices for two or more consecutive terms, cannot seek re-election because of term limits.
Among other contenders in the race for borough president, City Councilman Alfonso Stabile (R-Ozone Park), with $39,260, had a leg up over City Councilwoman Helen Marshall (D-Elmhurst), who has raised $37,015 and City Councilman Michael Abel (R-Bayside), who raised $12,537.
While Queens voters are more likely preoccupied by this fall's presidential and U.S. Senate races, political hopefuls are already jockeying for positions in 2001, when an unprecedented number of seats will open up in the City Council and the borough president's seat will be up for grabs for the first time in 14 years.
Other prospective candidates who have participated in the matching funds program so far were: Richmond Hill real estate attorney Trevor Rupnarain, who raised $35,710 in his campaign for city councilman from the district that includes Jamaica and parts of Richmond Hill, and College Point civic leader Tony Avella, who had $34,839 in his bid for councilman from the district that stretches from Whitestone to Bayside and Little Neck.
Barry Grodenchik, chief administrative officer to Shulman, has raised $35,448 and Jeff Gottlieb, chief of staff to City Councilman Morton Povman (D-Forest Hills), has raised $34,610. Both are seeking to succeed Povman in the district that stretches from Jamaica Estates into eastern Forest Hills.
Liu, who is hoping to succeed City Councilwoman Julia Harrison (D-Flushing), said he has been focusing heavily on fund-raising in 2000 because he plans to raise all the funds he will need in the campaign before the beginning of 2001.
Participants in the matching funds program can spend up to $274,000 on City Council campaigns and up to $2,354,000 for borough president, according to the Campaign Finance Board.
The matching funds program, Liu said, makes a candidate's ability to amass campaign money less of an issue with voters.
“It levels the playing field,” he said. “You still have to have worthy candidates but it takes money out of the equation.”
