State Sen. Anna Kaplan (D-North Hills) announced Tuesday she has more than $504,000 cash on hand during the most recent campaign filing period.
Kaplan said she has raised more than $205,000 during the filing period from Jan. 15 – July 11. Her Republican opponent, Jack Martins, had $41,000 cash in his war chest, according to filing reports. The incumbent expressed her gratitude for the financial support she has received since the beginning of her re-election campaign.
“Nassau residents have made it clear that they want a representative who will stand up and fight for women’s choice, common-sense gun safety laws and affordability for Long Island families,” Kaplan said in a statement. “And Nassau residents have made it clear that they want a representative who will fight back against the extremist voices who are trying to take over our community and spread their dangerous agenda.”
Efforts to reach Martins for comment were unavailing.
Kaplan was elected to serve the Town of North Hempstead’s 4th District as a councilwoman in 2011. In 2016, she sought election to the House of Representatives but lost to current Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) in the Democratic primary. Kaplan defeated former Flower Hill Mayor Elaine Phillips in 2018 to represent the 7th Senate District.
Martins, an Old Westbury resident who represented the 7th District from 2011 to 2016, announced his campaign in late March.
A former Mineola mayor from 2003-2010, Martins restructured the village’s finances, debt and property tax assessment system, and improved government transparency by broadcasting meetings on TV and publishing information online. In 2008, Martins ran an unsuccessful congressional campaign against former U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy before defeating incumbent 7th District Senator and Democrat Craig Johnson in 2010.
The race against Johnson was one that did not get resolved until early December due to Johnson demanding a recount of the votes, ultimately having his appeal denied by the state’s Court of Appeals.
After another failed attempt to get into Congress in 2016 when he lost to Suozzi, Martins shifted his focus to becoming Nassau County’s new county executive after former County Executive Edward Mangano was indicted on federal corruption charges.
Martins ultimately lost that race to Democrat Laura Curran, who served as county executive before being defeated by Republican Bruce Blakeman this past fall.
The 7th Senate district includes Floral Park, New Hyde Park, Williston Park, Mineola, Garden City Park, North Hills, Albertson, Old Westbury, East Hills, Roslyn, Roslyn Harbor, Roslyn Estates, Albertson, Searingtown, Lake Success, Manhasset, Munsey Park, Plandome, Plandome Heights, Plandome Manor, and the Great Neck and Port Washington peninsulas.
