Presidential hopefuls court LI donors, two years before the vote

WASHINGTON — The midterm campaign season may be in full swing, but 2028 has also been top of mind for deep-pocketed donors in Nassau and Suffolk who have spent the past few months holding listening sessions with potential presidential contenders.

Democratic Govs. Andy Beshear of Kentucky, JB Pritzker of Illinois, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Wes Moore of Maryland are among the names floated as potential 2028 presidential candidates who attended informal meet-and-greet sessions on Long Island over the summer, all as Vice President JD Vance raised a reported $5 million for the Republican National Committee at a Southampton dinner last month.

"The Long Island funding crossroads are busier than ever," said Larry Levy, executive dean of the National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University.

While the Hamptons and Nassau’s North Shore have historically served as essential stops for national candidates looking to build their campaign coffers, local donors say the focus of recent gatherings has been less about check writing and more about candidates building relationships to establish a potential donor network ahead of what could be a crowded presidential primary season.

"This Hampton summer season was defined by presidential candidate speed dating." said Democratic National Committeeman Robert Zimmerman, of Great Neck. "Most weekends we had respected potential presidential candidates, sometimes coming back for the second or third time to have different types of meetings, to meet with small groups of us."

Smaller gatherings

While no Democrat has officially declared a run for the presidency, top Democrats who did make stops in Long Island this summer opted for smaller, intimate sessions — bagel breakfasts and cocktail gatherings — over large and opulent fundraising parties, said Zimmerman, who met Beshear, Pritzker and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel this summer.

"None of us have to drive through Hamptons traffic to meet and eat overpriced lobster salad — we can do that at home. But we were there because there is a real commitment about moving forward with the strongest possible candidate," Zimmerman said.

Patricia Duff, founder of The Common Good, a nonprofit group that promotes civic engagement, played host to Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia during an August stop in the East End and told Newsday in a phone interview he left a good impression on many donors.

"There is this interest in fresh and young, but also he's very warm and charming," Duff said. "I think what was really interesting is — he's good on his feet, he's really good with answering questions."

GOP focus on Blakeman

Republicans have also been actively courting Long Island donors. But billionaire John Catsimatidis, who owns talk radio station WABC, said the focus among Republicans writing checks out east was less on the next Republican presidential nominee and more on the midterms and the New York gubernatorial race between Gov. Kathy Hochul and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman.

"No one was thinking about 2028," Catsimatidis said in a brief phone interview.

While President Donald Trump has told reporters this year it’s "too early" to endorse Vance to be his successor to the GOP presidential nomination, Vance’s $5 million fundraiser was hosted at the Southampton home of Omeed Malik, a venture capitalist with business ties to Trump’s eldest son, Don Jr., who also served as a co-host of the event, according to an RNC invite.

Entry into the Vance fundraiser cost $100,000 per couple for a reception and $250,000 per couple for dinner with the vice president. Attendees included the scions of Trump cabinet members — Brandon Lutnick, the son of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Zach Witkoff, the son of Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.

House races

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) headlined a fundraiser for Republican Mike LiPetri in his bid to unseat Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) for New York’s 3rd Congressional District. The Aug. 21 event cost attendees $500 to $25,000 to attend and was hosted at the Upper Brookville home of Frank and Janet DellaFera.

Witkoff, Trump’s key negotiator in the Middle East and Russia, also held a fundraiser in Southampton for Blakeman’s GOP gubernatorial bid after Trump’s Aug. 14 appearance at the Nassau police training complex in Uniondale.

Levy, with Hofstra University, said this summer’s fundraising season was active not only because of the presidential candidates courting donors, but also because of the interest in Long Island’s suburban swing districts, pointing to the Suozzi and LiPetri race and the 4th Congressional District matchup between first-term Rep. Laura Gillen (D-Rockville Centre) and Republican Jeanine Driscoll, the Hempstead Town receiver of taxes.

"What’s different about this year is that not only is the money here, but several races that could determine which party controls Congress," Levy said.

By Laura Figueroa Hernandez

laura.figueroa@newsday.com@Laura_Figueroa

Laura Figueroa Hernandez is the White House correspondent and previously covered New York City politics and government. She joined Newsday in 2012 after covering state and local politics for The Miami Herald.