8/22/2012
By Ivan Pereira
When it comes to New York City, political pundits say President Barack Obama has locked in the vote, but that doesn’t mean Mitt Romney can have a take at the Big Apple’s piggy bank.
The GOP Presidential candidate has been surging in fundraising in New York, and is on the way to exceed his predecessor, according to campaign finance records.
Romney has raked in nearly $11 million so far from the city, with many donations coming in from Wall Street businesses, federal election commission reports say. By comparison, Sen. John McCain was able to raise $13 million from New York State by the end of his 2008 campaign.
Baruch College political science professor Doug Muzzio said Romney’s ties with big business and Wall Street’s differences with Obama’s economic policies have given him a new cash opportunity.
“Clearly, business money is moving to Romney,” he said. “Romney has connection with those folks that McCain never had.”
Just because he has a sour relation with the CEOs, doesn’t mean the president can’t tap the city’s other big donors: celebrities.
On Wednesday, President Barack Obama marked his 37th campaign event in the city since April 2011, when he officially declared his candidacy, at a dinner with basketball greats that cost $20,000 a person.
So far, the commander in chief has raked in $17 million from the city for his re-election campaign, with many donations from celebrities such as Mariah Carey and George Clooney.
Muzzio said tapping into the celebrity elite does more than just give Obama a financial advantage.
“He comes where the money and the media are. In terms of campaigning, there is nothing going on in New York. The Democrats know they are going to win New York,” Muzzio said.
