A Republican candidate for the New York State Senate has accused his Democratic opponent of improperly using public campaign funds to promote other party candidates. Assemblyman Jarett Gandolfo alleges that Josh Taveras, who is running for the 8th Senate District seat, sent mailers to voters that urged them to "vote the whole ticket," potentially violating rules of the state's campaign finance matching program.
The mailer in question reportedly listed Democratic candidates from the 2nd congressional district down to local county positions, with phrases like "Vote Democratic, all the way down" and criticisms of "MAGA Washington."
Gandolfo stated that Taveras has received over $127,000 in public matching funds. Under New York's campaign finance matching program, candidates are prohibited from using these public funds to support other candidates. "They have blatantly violated New York State Election Law," Gandolfo said. "It makes me question if his candidacy is serious, or if it exists solely to funnel money to other candidates. It's corruption of the Public Campaign Finance system and it demands immediate investigation and accountability for all involved."
The mailer may also contravene limits on how much local candidates can spend to support federal-level candidates. Anthony Pileggi, a campaign consultant for the opponent of the 2nd District Representative, called for the Federal Elections Commission to investigate.
Kelly Perry, Taveras' campaign treasurer, defended the mailer, stating that the campaign consulted with the New York State Public Campaign Finance Board, which reportedly confirmed its acceptability. "Every claim is sourced, and every quote is their own. Clearly our opponents are uncomfortable seeing their record in print," Perry added.
Gandolfo was first elected to the state Assembly in 2020. The 8th District is currently represented by state Sen. Alexis Weik, a Republican who is not seeking reelection. Weik won the seat with significant margins in both 2022 and 2024.