By Dustin Brown
Elizabeth Crowley, a 23-year-old Democrat who belongs to a powerful Queens political family, has raised more than three times as much as her party rivals for the city council seat held by Republican minority leader Tom Ognibene.
But she and her two Democratic challengers contend it is their message, not their purse strings, that will propel them into office to represent Ridgewood, Glendale, Middle Village and parts of Richmond Hill and Woodhaven.
Crowley, a substitute teacher and restorative painter who is the first cousin of U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Jackson Heights), has raised $59,495 for her campaign, according to the latest records she filed with the Campaign Finance Board.
Her two Democratic rivals, School Board 24 members Robert Cermeli and Linda Sansivieri, have each raised less than a third of that amount, with Sansivieri reporting $18,390 in contributions and Cermeli at $16,651.
While the Sept. 11 primary will determine which of the three Democrats will make it onto the ballot for the general election in November, only one candidate is vying for the Republican nod – Dennis Gallagher, who has served for 10 years as Ognibene''s chief of staff. Gallagher has raised $49,388 in his bid to succeed his longtime boss.
Crowley received the endorsement of Tom Manton, chairman of the Queens County Democrats, early in the race. Manton rocked the Queens political establishment in 1998 when he decided not to seek re-election to Congress and handpicked state Assemblyman Joseph Crowley to succeed him. Manton did not make his move public until after the deadline passed for other candidates to enter the race.
Crowley drew several contributions of $2,500 each from labor-affiliated political action committees, which have lavished strong support on a candidate who is a member of the painters'' union.
“They knew exactly what I stood for and they wanted someone on the City Council who listened to them, who understood the need for good, qualified workers in the job force,” Crowley said of her union support.
Labor has given a distinct financial advantage to Crowley, who has received 14 contributions at levels of $1,000 and higher – which at a total of $25,500 amounts to more funding than the entire sums raised by Cermeli or Sansivieri. Gallagher received three contributions at that level, and Cermeli only two. The largest contributions to Sansivieri''s campaign came in at $250.
Neither Cermeli nor Sansivieri was daunted by the discrepancy in funding between their own campaigns and Crowley''s.
“As far as waging a competitive campaign, I think that my campaign is very competitive because whatever material goes out shows the substance of my years and my experience with the community,” said Cermeli, a capital budget administrator for the city and longtime member of Community Board 5. “No matter how you paint it in glossy materials, people have to read the substance.”
Sansivieri, a self-described community activist, said her “100 percent grass-roots campaign” was based on stumping from door to door, rather than the amount of money in her bank account.
“I''m not buying this election,” she said. “I''m out there just doing my thing with the community . . . Everyone on that donation list are my friends and family.”
Like Cermeli and Sansivieri, Gallagher described his fund-raising efforts as largely grassroots.
Gallagher tallied more low-level contributions than any other candidate, taking in 438 donations of $100 or less – compared to 278 for Crowley, 143 for Sansivieri, and 69 for Cermeli.
By collecting many small donations, Gallagher has put himself in the best position to reap the rewards of city campaign finance laws, which offer 4-to-1 matching funds for any donations up to $250 from in-state individuals.
Of Gallagher''s contributions, $31,725 is eligible for matching funds, compared to $23,230 for Crowley, $14,510 for Sansivieri and $11,616 for Cermeli, according to the campaign finance records.
While spending on the part of all four candidates was largely comparable – primarily for fund-raising events, office operation and printing of campaign materials – Crowley is the only candidate to enlist the services of a consulting firm, the largest expense of her campaign. Crowley has paid $14,000 in fees to the Advance Group in Manhattan, in addition to many reimbursements for expenses the company incurred on her part.
Most of the candidates have about half of their funds remaining at this point in the campaign. Crowley is left with a war chest of $31,492, while Gallagher has $23,859, Sansivieri has $11,277, and Cermeli $4,199, the records showed.
Reach reporter Dustin Brown by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 154.CD 30 finances
