Steve Israel (Getty)
Rep. Steve Israel had a healthy fundraising quarter for a congressman but will need to rev up his efforts if he wants to run for Senate in 2010. Israel, a Democrat representing the 2nd District on Long Island, raised $280,000 in the first three months of 2009 and closed March with $1.7 million, a Congressional aide reported.
Israel has yet to file his first quarter report, which is due to the Federal Election Commission by midnight Wednesday.
Israel had demonstrated his fundraising prowess in past campaigns, raising large sums for the Democratic party as well as for his own safe House seat. He will need to rally his entire fundraising network and then some to mount a credible primary challenge to Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, and statewide general election campaign, something he has not ruled out.
Gillibrand announced last week that she had raised $2.3 million since being named to the Senate at the end of January.
To that end, Israel has signed on a new finance consultant to help with his fundraising -- Lisa Gioia of the Esler Group in New York City. Gioia's previous clients include current New York Gov. David A. Paterson and former Gov. Eliot Spitzer, as well as other prominent state Democrats.
Progressives in the state have not been happy with the governor's choice of the moderate Gillibrand, who formerly reprsented the upstate 20th District in the House, and could rally around someone like Israel who has a more liberal voting record. Another member, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy has also expressed interest in challenging Gillibrand, but she trails far behind both the senator and Israel in funding.
![[ARCHIVES]](http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/templates/images/archives_icon.png){kind=icon}
Post A Comment