Vance takes a break from Iran war to bomb Suozzi

Daily Point

Vice president sharply attacks Suozzi; gives a nod to LiPetri

Vice President JD Vance came to Nassau County Wednesday to speak about fraud and crime but his unexpectedly short and a bit odd remarks were quite the bait and switch.

The visit was billed as purely governmental and not political — although even that needed to be taken with a grain of salt — since it followed by a day the filing of a federal lawsuit against New York State for healthcare fraud. But the vice president's focus turned into a scathing campaign attack on Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi on his home turf that surprised even some local Republicans in attendance.

And Vance bizarrely kept referring to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul as "Katie."

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who is running to unseat Hochul, warmed up the crowd as did CD1 Rep. Nick LaLota, who is running for reelection. Assembly Minority Leader Ed Ra made some remarks as did Mike LiPetri, the former Assembly member who faces a tough fight for the Republican nomination in CD3 before he can take on Suozzi.

Then the crowd, with only water and no food and no explanation, was kept waiting for more than an hour for Vance — who is the point man on the Iran ceasefire deal — to take the stage.

Apologizing for his hoarse voice, Vance blamed it on the tour for his new book "Communion" about his conversion to Catholicism, which he coyly said he couldn't plug and then went on to do just that.

"I've been selling a book that I came out with," Vance said, adding he's not allowed to mention the book. "So I'm gonna tell you that Tom Suozzi — 'cuz I'm not supposed to talk about the book — would definitely not buy the book ‘Communion' by JD Vance, available everywhere books are sold starting yesterday."

Suozzi is a lifelong Glen Cove Catholic whose faith is part of his identity.

Vance went on to repeatedly attack Suozzi for voting against Trump administration bills contending the CD3 representative was not representing the working class members of his district but instead aligned with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who isn't exactly the ripe target she once was. His sharpest attacks came when, with no evidence, he said Suozzi used his insider knowledge of D.C. to his investment advantage.

Then there were more mentions of "Katie" Hochul and blaming Hochul and Suozzi for people not able to safely go out to dinner in New York City.

Vance got around to voicing support for LiPetri over Suozzi, saying "send a real American to represent this great district," but he never made a positive case for him. Overall, the generic remarks, which Vance made after flipping pages in a loose-leaf binder, could have been written by a Washington intern with no connection to the reality on Long Island.

The vice president mentioned that he met LiPetri earlier in the day but the contender for the GOP nomination never appeared onstage with him. And if there is a photo of them together, LiPetri has yet to post it on social media. Most peculiarly, Vance did not give LiPetri the specific endorsement he needs now — as the GOP candidate that has better MAGA cred than his primary opponent Greg Hach, an Oyster Bay attorney. Hach was endorsed Tuesday night by former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. The Point reported Tuesday that GOP county chair Joe Cairo was concerned that the low turnout so far in early voting was not a good sign for LiPetri, who has President Donaald Trump’s endorsement.

Soon after the event, a seething Suozzi held a news conference on Zoom and called for an investigation into whether any taxpayer dollars were used for the event, claiming it cost $100,000 to rent the soundstage. He demanded the vice president, whom he called a "phony baloney," debate him. Asked whether he would buy Vance's book, Suozzi would only say, "Unlike him I would never lecture the pope on theology."

As for Hochul, she just tweeted, "It's still Kathy." 

— Rita Ciolli rita.ciolli@newsday.com

Pencil Point

Rock and roll

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Final Point

Congressional primary challengers struggle to raise cash

Just two months into an unexpected campaign, Hempstead Town Receiver of Taxes Jeanine Driscoll has been campaigning hard in person and on social media. She has garnered endorsements from a slew of prominent and local Republicans, and has been a guest on radio shows to get her pro-MAGA message front and center to Nassau Republicans.

And perhaps most importantly, Driscoll has the full-throated backing of the Nassau County GOP, complete with campaign volunteers and voter lists.

The only things missing are piles of cash.

According to campaign finance filings with the Federal Election Commission, Driscoll raised $187,761 from April 1 to June 3. Keep in mind, her nascent campaign didn't start until mid-April when she was nominated to replace former Valley Stream Village Mayor John DeGrace, who was a placeholder candidate that gave Nassau GOP leaders an overtime period to find a candidate not named Anthony D'Esposito. Driscoll has $182,823 cash on hand.

While that may be a lot of money for a primary, it's not for a congressional general election. Her opponent for the Republican nomination, Marvin Williams, has raised $130,081 since Jan. 1, and is running a self-funded campaign outside the party structure. Williams lent his campaign $116,000 and has just $3,206 cash on hand. He has been taking out full-page ads in local papers for months to get his message to voters.

But so far, the fundraising numbers don't put either Driscoll or Williams in a position to take on the power of incumbency that awaits them after the primary election wraps up Tuesday.

Democratic Rep. Laura Gillen raised $402,434 in the pre-primary filing period from April 1 through June 3, and has $3,421,462 cash on hand. While it's no secret that incumbents generally have access to more money, the yawning gap between Gillen and whichever Republican she faces in November is significant.

Gillen isn't the only Long Island congressional incumbent with a massive advantage in campaign cash. A review of campaign finance filings by The Point shows that on Long Island, regardless of political party, candidates running a primary campaign for a party line aren't raising anywhere near the amount of cash that the incumbents are.

Democratic Rep. Thomas Suozzi (CD3) raised $887,543 from April 1 to June 3 and has $5,496,562 cash on hand. His Democratic primary challenger, Danielle Welch, raised $18,520 during the same period and has $7,805 cash on hand.

Vying for the GOP line in the June 23 primary, Republicans Mike LiPetri and Greg Hach have polar opposite fundraising sheets. LiPetri, backed by the Nassau GOP, raised $301,864 and has $722,388 cash on hand according to April 1 through June 3 filings. Hach raised only $1,391 and has $58,414 cash on hand. Hach did, however, loan his campaign $500,000 in the pre-primary cycle.

Republican Rep. Andrew Garbarino (CD2), who isn't facing a primary, raised $316,841 in the April 1-June 3 period and has $2,821,960 cash on hand. His November challenger, Democrat Pat Halpin, raised $53,029 and has $82,644 cash on hand.

Republican Nick LaLota (CD1), who also isn't facing a primary, reported raising $172,117 in the pre-primary filing period and has $2,983,749 cash on hand. Chris Gallant and Lukas Ventouras are fighting in the Democratic primary. Gallant raised $91,983 and has $81,740 cash on hand compared with Ventouras, who raised $17,287 and has $21,345 cash on hand, according to pre-primary filings with the FEC.

— Mark Nolan mark.nolan@newsday.com

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