Two candidates vying to represent the 111th Assembly District have raised similar amounts of money, but one’s spending has his reserves running low.
Angelo Santabarbara, D-Rotterdam, is seeking an Assembly seat for the second time after being reelected to the Schenectady County Legislature last year. This is Santabarbara’s third straight year of campaigning and he’s drawing on his existing war chest.
Thomas Quackenbush, R-Fort Plain, was in 1997 first elected as mayor of the Village of Fort Plain. In 2002, Quackenbush was elected Town of Minden supervisor and has held six consecutive terms in that office.
Required July campaign finance reports filed by both campaigns shows Quackenbush raised $34,850 to Santabarbara’s $31,150 worth of donations.
Quackenbush said his campaign has focused on a door-to-door approach trying to reach as many people as possible. His campaign also recently set up an office straddling Rotterdam and Schenectady.
“We have a great team out there and we have a great ground game,” Quackenbush said. “I think that is the difference between the campaigns, we have that grassroots effort behind us that is going to continue us through to (the election).”
Quackenbush claimed his campaign also raised $6,300 after the July finance reports were due.
“I am proud that we have people in our campaign that are willing to contribute their hard earned dollars,” he said.
Santabarbara also stressed his campaign is focusing on a door-to-door approach and trying to reach “as many voters as possible” before Election Day. He did acknowledge he’d have to focus on fundraising efforts moving forward.
“I will spend more time fundraising,” he said. “I think we have done a very good job fundraising.”
Despite this being Santabarbara’s third consecutive year of campaigning for office, he said he’s still running strong.
“My energy level is just as high as it was and I am very active,” he said. “It is the third year and I haven’t slowed down in any way in going to doors and talking to people.”
Quackenbush reported 110 donations from individuals totaling almost $14,300, with another $3,900 in unitemized individual donations accounted for. His largest individual donation was $1,000 from Lous Capece, of Fort Plain
Quackenbush accepted money from 21 corporate donors, totaling $5,375, with the largest donation again at $1,000 from Jacksland Associates, of Canajoharie. He also received money from various unions.
Quackenbush is an active member of Teamsters Local No. 294 and said his past experience is making him standout to labor unions.
“I have a very strong voice in labor and as a labor leader they realize that and believe in me,” he said.
Santabarbara shifted $6,500 from his county legislator war chest over to his Assembly campaign. The Schenectady County Democratic Committee also transferred the $10,000 to his campaign and the Rotterdam Democratic Committee transferred $100.
The county legislator took in $7,500 worth of individual donations from 10 individuals. Santabarbara’s wife, Jennifer, contributed $4,650. His campaign reported an additional $1,800 in unitemized individual donations. The campaign took money from four corporate donors totaling $1,400, the largest being from Delo Enterprises in the amount of $1,000.
“I have strong support from the local community, from small donations to large, they are all important to me,” Santabarbara said. “The support is coming from all parts of the community. I don’t think it is strictly party line related.”
The candidates diverge sharply when it comes to how much money they’ve spent, though. Quackenbush had spent almost $10,500 as of the disclosure deadline while Santabarbara spent more than $30,000, reporting $1,600 left in his coffers.
Santabarbara said his campaign took an early push, which saw him incurring more expenses than his opponent. He believed there will be plenty of support moving forward.
“We have done a lot of early campaigning, so we had some expenditures early on,” he said. “I don’t see a problem going forward and I think the support is there … we think the campaign has a lot of energy going forward.”
Quackenbush questioned Santabarbara’s choice.
“I don’t know that I would have spent my contributors’ money like that this early in the race,” Quackenbush said. “I have been very conservative with my donors’ money.”
Quackenbush said his campaign does have “every intention” on spending contributions, but said it would be spent “wisely.”
