Mayoral hopeful Anthony Weiner won the most financial support from contributors with real estate ties than any of his opponents — and even all the candidates for every other city office, a review of the latest campaign records filed yesterday reveals.
The former congressman took in $85,011 from 66 real estate-related donors from May 12 to July 11, just over 10 percent of the $828,886 he received during the two month-period, records with the New York City Campaign Finance Board show.
Weiner’s donors included Ralph Sitt, a principal at Sitt Asset Management, and Jed Garfield, president of residential brokerage Leslie J. Garfield Real Estate, who each gave $2,500. Ben Ashkenazy, CEO of Ashkenazy Acquisition, Harold Fetner, CEO of Durst Fetner Residential and Julien Studley, the retired founder of the commercial brokerage that bears his name, each gave $2,475.
Other contributions came from Robert Knakal, chairman of Massey Knakal Realty Services, who wrote a check for $2,000, and Joseph Sitt, CEO of Thor Equities, who ponied up $400, the records show.
Christine Quinn, City Council Speaker, took in $22,585 in real estate related contributions, making up about 5 percent of her total of $463,400. Her contributors included Douglas Elliman agent Eric Friedberg and DDG Partners CEO Joseph McMillan, who each gave $2,475, the records show.
Nearly 450 individuals involved in the real estate industry contributed $369,023 to campaign coffers of candidates for all city offices — including mayor, borough president and City Council. The real estate-related dollars accounted for about 8.6 percent of the $4.28 million that was contributed in the filing period, the review of the city records show.
Businessman Jack Hidary, a cousin of the Hidary family that owns Hidrock Realty, formally entered the mayoral race only three weeks ago but attracted the second-highest volume of real estate contributions — $71,325 from 17 donors. Those large commitments made up more than half of the $131,550 he took in.
Hidary received the maximum $4,950 each from Saul and Ralph Tawil, owners of Centurion Real Estate; Harry Adjmi, members of whose family invested in 529 Broadway; David Dushey, who is a vice president at real estate firm Jenel Management; and Abraham Hidary, president of Hidrock Realty.
Joseph Lhota, whose campaign took in more from real estate interests than any other mayoral candidate in the previous filing period, receiving $51,175. Mitchell Steir, CEO of Studley, donated $1,000 to the former transit head, a Republican.
Former City Council member Melinda Katz, who chaired the Land Use Committee, came in second to Weiner in real estate-related contributions for her run to be borough president of Queens. She took in $49,145 from real estate donrs, or 28 percent of the $173,855 she collected in the last two months.
Katz’s donors included Howard Milstein, head of Milstein Properties, and Leonard Litwin, CEO of Glenwood Management, and Steven Roth, founder and chairman of Vornado Realty Trust. Each gave $3,850.
Other big donors to campaigns included William and Arthur Zeckendorf, of Zeckendorf Development, each gave City Council Member Gale Brewer $3,850 to support her race for Manhattan borough president.