Follow the money: Spending on lobbying shows what's at stake this election

David Robinson

Reporter- Albany Business Review

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The latest lobby spending report is a good illustration of what is at stake this election.

During the first half of 2014, nearly $110 million was spent to influence New York state government on a range of issues, including casino development and tax reform, the Joint Commission on Public Ethics report shows.

That was roughly a $4 million, or 4 percent, increase from a year-ago, further demonstrating the importance of policies being pursued in Albany.

Meanwhile, voters in New York will pick Tuesday from candidates vying to shape those issues in the future, with business interests urging people to pay close attention to a battle for control of the state Senate.

The Business Council of New York State, the largest business lobby in the state, is primarily supporting Republican candidates in Senate races. The strategy involves preventing a downstate power grab by Democrats in New York City.

Still, the Democrat crop of incumbents in the top three statewide offices -- Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli -- hold at least 20-point leads over GOP challengers Rob Astorino, John Cahill and Bob Antonacci, respectively, according to the latest Siena College Poll.

Those leads are tied to the makeup of the electorate, with a more than two-to-one advantage for Democrats over Republicans in terms of total enrolled voters, about 5.9 million to 2.8 million.

An Albany Business Review cover story about the many factors behind the upstate-downstate political power struggle has been available to subscribers only until recently being unlocked here.

Among the top spenders on lobbying activity was a teacher's union, an anti-casino coalition funded by gambling interests, a health association representing hospitals primarily and groups pushing for campaign finance reform and charter schools, the Joint Commission on Public Ethics report shows.

Here is the lobbying spending report.

Robinson covers breaking news and health care.