(This story was updated Oct. 31, 2010, with information from an interview with state Sen. John DeFrancisco.)
For his political money, state Sen. John DeFrancisco, R-Syracuse, gets the majority from businesses, lawyers and political action committees in his campaign to keep the 50th state Senate District seat.
Between January 2009 and Oct. 22, 2010, DeFrancisco raised $206,935, according to the campaign finance reports with the New York State Board of Elections. Of that, two-thirds came from businesses, lawyers and political action committees.
DeFrancisco is seeking his tenth term representing the 50th New York state Senate District. His opponent is Democrat Kathleen Joy, a member of the Syracuse Common Council.
The 50th Senate District includes most of Onondaga County and the western part of Syracuse. Republicans have a slim lead in voter enrollment, with 65,952 registered voters. That compares to 65,445 registered voters for the Democrat party. There are 48,879 voters registered as unaffiliated with a party.
The election is on Nov. 2.
Here’s an overview of DeFrancisco’s fundraising from between 2009 and 2010, according to the campaign finance reports filed with the state elections board:
- Of his total, 37 percent — or $78,900 — is from political action committees such as the Healthcare Association of New York State, the Realtors PAC of New York State, and the Academy of Trial Lawyers PAC.
- 26 percent — or $55,630 — is from individual contributors. His largest individual donor is E. Carlyle Smith of Syracuse, who gave a total of $3,600 in two donations.
- 16 percent — or $34,821 — is from law firms and consultants. There are 26 law firms that donated money to DeFrancisco.
- 11 percent — or $25,145 — is from the health care and transportation industries.
- Among his top health-care contributions are $2,795 from Franciscan Health Support Services; $4,400 from the Healthcare Association of New York State; and $2,250 from the New York State Nurses Association. These three groups accounted for more than half of the money from health care contributions to DeFrancisco’s campaign.
- 11 percent — or $23,540 — is from 32 small businesses. Among them are $3,600 from the Environmental Products and Services of Vermont, Inc; $2,250 from Demco New York Corp.; and $1,800 from General Interior Systems Inc.
Demco New York Corporation is an electrical subcontractor based in East Syracuse has donated $2,2,50 in two separate contributions since 2009. The reason, said CEO Peter Donohoe, is because DeFrancisco understands the burdens on small businesses.
Said Donohoe: “He fights crazy, new laws that hurt business and believes in free enterprise.”
To change the business environment, DeFrancisco calls for lowering taxes so that businesses are more profitable and willing to stay in Central New York.
“If we’re taxing $14 billion more this year, then under those circumstances, there’s less chance of businesses making money and fewer people staying here because the property taxes are going up,” said DeFrancisco. “You can give all the incentives in the world to keep them here. But unless they are making money, businesses won’t stay here.”
(Robert Lowrey is a graduate student in broadcast and digital journalism.)
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