Developers pour $$ into campaigns

Milling among the tuxedo-clad crowd—with seats alongside REBNY’s executive board, no less—were three individuals who have been getting to know the real estate industry rather well recently, the leading potential Democratic mayoral candidates, City Comptroller William Thompson Jr., U.S. Representative Anthony Weiner and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.

Real Estate Races For Mayoral Graces

For the first time in over a decade, the real estate industry is flexing its muscle in the early stages of a mayoral race, with developers and landlords dumping dollars into the campaigns of the three leading contenders.

Mr. Weiner, Ms. Quinn and Mr. Thompson have together raised at least $2 million from the real estate industry, more than one-fifth of the total $8.76 million raised this cycle by the trio as of Jan. 15, according to campaign finance records examined by The Observer.

Whatever the reasons, candidates are raising a tremendous amount from the real estate industry, with Ms. Quinn and Mr. Weiner each taking in about one-fourth of their donations from those in the real estate and construction industries. A tally of their donations, which lists donors’ employers, shows that Ms. Quinn raised at least $680,000 of her total $2.47 million from the industry; Mr. Weiner took in at least $915,000 of his $3.6 million. Mr. Thompson, who’s looked more to the financial industry than his potential rivals have, took in at least $400,000 from the real estate industry, about 14 percent of his total raised this cycle. (Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, exploring a mayoral candidacy, also has relied heavily on the real estate industry for the $850,000 he’s raised.)