As Gov. Pataki revealed yesterday that he’s spending a stunning $500,000 a day on his campaign, his cash-strapped rival, Carl McCall, got an emergency infusion of $400,000 from Washington Democrats.
Figures released by Pataki’s campaign showed that the governor spent a whopping $11.3 million over the first three weeks of October, while Independence Party nominee Tom Golisano said he shelled out $14.4 million of his own personal fortune.
Pataki spokesman Mike McKeon said the governor’s campaign had $3.6 million left – with another $1 million expected to come in from donors before the Nov. 5 election.
Aides to McCall – who has been struggling badly with his fund-raising – revealed the campaign had spent $3 million and had a paltry $722,000 left in its campaign coffers.
McCall has raised $2.6 million this month but some of that cash came directly from his millionaire running mate, Dennis Mehiel, aides said.
McCall spokeswoman Marissa Shorenstein said their fund-raising figures didn’t reflect a $400,000 check written yesterday to the campaign by Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe.
After a public squabble with the DNC boss, McCall met with McAuliffe in his campaign offices in Midtown yesterday and proclaimed he was happy with the money.
“Now I don’t have to spend all my time sitting on the telephone begging for money,” he said.
“I never thought there was a dispute,” McAuliffe maintained. “I always said we were going to do what we promised.”
Yesterday’s fund-raising figures – almost $118 million has been spent overall on the race, making it one of the most expensive in the country – also revealed for the first time that the governor actually slightly outspent the billionaire Golisano on advertising – $10.7 million to $10.5 million.
THE MONEY RACE
George Pataki Tom Golisano Carl McCall
Total Raised $41.6M (self-funded) $14.7M
Total Spent $38M $54M $14M
Cash on Hand $3.6M (unlimited: He’s a billionaire) $722,000