Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman outraised his opponent, Nassau County Legislator Seth Koslow (D–Merrick), over the first six months of the year by nearly fourfold, bringing in almost $2 million to his campaign compared to Koslow’s $550,000.
Blakeman, a Republican who was elected to the county seat in 2021, has raised $1.96 million in campaign contributions since the beginning of the year, bringing his total campaign fundraising to about $3.3 million, according to state campaign filings. His campaign raised nearly $1.4 million in 2024.
Koslow, the county’s Democratic District 5 legislator elected in 2023, has raised more than $550,000 over the first six months of the year, for a total of $654,000 raised overall.
“I’m proud to have earned overwhelming support from hardworking taxpayers, law enforcement, trade unions, and local employers who stand behind my record of holding the line on taxes and keeping Nassau the safest county in America,” Blakeman said in a statement.“ In contrast, Seth Koslow’s failing campaign is aided by criminal attorneys and radical NYC politicians who want to defund the police and raise taxes.”
Koslow criticized the county executive’s campaign for taking dollars from county contractors.
“Let’s be clear,” Koslow said. “Bruce Blakeman didn’t raise over $2 million by accident. He did it by auctioning off county contracts like they were concert tickets. If you’re a vendor doing business with Nassau, odds are you’re cutting checks to Bruce, too.”
The campaign filings reported to the state span from Jan. 15 through July 15.
Top contributors to his campaign come from individual donations ranging upwards of $50,000.
The largest individual contribution made to Blakeman’s campaign came from James Metzger, philanthropist and founder of The Whitmore Agency, who donated $50,000.
Other top donors included Kenneth Gaul, owner of a Woodhaven nursing home, who donated $25,000, and Benjamin Landa, owner of Cold Spring Hills Nursing Home, who donated $15,000.
The largest contribution from a political action committee, or PAC, was from the New York Republican National Transfer Action Committee, which donated $25,000 to his campaign in June.
Other PACs have contributed to Blakeman’s campaign, including $24,500 from the Better Long Island Political Action Committee and $27,000 from the Committee for Fair Property Taxes.
Law enforcement and trade unions have also contributed to Blakeman’s campaign, including $24,000 from the Nassau County Police Benevolent Association, $17,500 from the International Union of Operating Engineers and $9,000 from the Nassau County Correction Officers PAC.
Blakeman also garnered contributions from local law firms, including those that have contracts with the county. This included Abrams Fensterman, which donated $9,000, and Bee Ready Fishbein Hatter & Donovan, which donated $4,250. Attorneys from these law firms and others also contributed individual campaign contributions.
The top contributions to Koslow’s campaign come from the Nassau County Democratic Committee, which gave $40,000, and Nassau County and State Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs, who donated $15,000.
Overall, more than 1,000 contributions have been given to Koslow’s campaign so far this year.
Multiple PACs contributed to Koslow’s campaign, including $10,000 from the 1199 SEIU NYS Political Action Fund, $13,500 from New Suburbia Political Action Committee and $5,500 from Long Island Builders.
No law enforcement unions have contributed to Koslow’s campaign, excluding a $1,000 donation from the Nassau County Detectives Association, which is a PAC.
