Brisport, Walsh lead fundraising race in SD25, AD51

New mandatory disclosure reports filed in May at the New York State Board of Elections gave local voters a glimpse into the campaigns of several candidates who hope to represent Red Hook in Albany in 2021. The documents reveal political donations and expenditures made between January 12 and May 18.

Schoolteacher Jabari Brisport, who trailed former State Senate staffer Jason Salmon in January, now boasts the largest campaign treasury in the Senate District 25 race. His 32-Day Pre-Primary report shows a haul of $128,660, dwarfing the sums raised by Salmon ($54,900) and another competitor, Assemblywoman Tremaine Wright ($15,425, including $7,000 from Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie’s political action committee).

This brings Brisport’s fundraising total to $171,554 since September, ahead of Salmon’s $142,630. Heading into the home stretch before the decisive June 23 primary, Brisport has $89,138 on hand, followed by Wright at $44,359 (thanks to a transfer of $43,075 from her old Assembly campaign) and Salmon at $27,503.

Brisport’s advantage owes to a preponderance of small donors, with an average individual contribution ($37) much lower than Salmon’s ($167) or Wright’s ($195). Wright has amassed only 38 donations, while Brisport has received 4,547.

In the Assembly District 51 race, urban planner Katherine Walsh continues to lead in fundraising with $50,202 in contributions between January and May. She has pulled in a total of $108,650 since the start of her campaign.

Housing activist Marcela Mitaynes, whose 32-Day Pre-Primary report shows $33,902 in contributions, has now raised a total of $57,216. She leads, however, in the number of donations with 1,732, ahead of Walsh’s 1,269.

As of June 2, the New York State Board of Elections website suggests that incumbent assemblyman Felix Ortiz and community activist Genesis Aquino – who had raised $45,168 and $15,713 as of January 11 – have not yet filed their 32-Day Pre-Primary reports in spite of the May 22 deadline. Walsh previously accused Ortiz of missing the January deadline.

In all likelihood, Ortiz – who recorded a closing balance of $178,502 on his January Periodic report – has more cash on hand than any of his competitors, thanks to 21 years of incumbency and few primary challenges. Walsh has $45,936, and Mitaynes has $29,731.

Assembly District 51 has an additional race for an unpaid position within the Brooklyn Democratic Party called State Committee, also known as District Leader. One candidate, Julio Peña III of Sunset Park, has reported $7,133 in contributions. His opponent, Red Hook’s Robert Berrios, created a campaign committee for fundraising on May 22.

The Board of Elections has scheduled one more disclosure requirement, on June 15, before the June 23 primary, which will determine the Democratic nominees for State Senate and State Assembly and elect the new District Leader.