Campaign finance filings released last week show challenger Gabi Madden is for the first few months of 2024 outraising incumbent Sarahana Shrestha in the contest for the Democratic Party’s nomination for the 103rd Assembly District.

Meanwhile, two members of the Kingston Common Council are calling on Madden to return campaign contributions from the architect of a legal effort to roll back Kingston’s rent regulation law and a property manager linked to a problem-plagued apartment complex in the city.

The data from the campaigns’ March periodic filing with the state Board of Elections shows that since Jan. 1, Madden, a 27-year-old former staffer for former assemblyman Kevin Cahill, raised $31,335. That’s compared with $18,729 since Jan. 1, for Shrestha, a climate activist associated with the Democratic Socialists of America who unseated Cahill in a 2022 Democratic primary.

But Shrestha, who began the filing period with $18,173 in the bank, retains the financial edge in the race. The filings show that as of mid-March, Shrestha’s campaign had $23,846 cash on hand compared to $13,655 for Madden’s effort. In addition, Shrestha has the backing of the DSA political action committee For the Many — not affiliated with the pro-housing organization of the same name — which raised another $43,000 for her candidacy last year. (The group did not appear in a state database of March 2024 disclosure filings). Both campaigns raised enough to qualify for public matching funds.

In statements issued Monday, both campaigns sought to cast their fundraising efforts as reflecting strong local support. Shrestha downplayed dollar amounts in the first-quarter money race, instead pointing to what she said was her advantage in small-dollar in-district contributions. Shrestha said 67 percent of her total campaign contributions came from within the 103rd District compared to 54 percent of Madden’s. Shrestha added that the average donation to her campaign was $45 compared with $200 for Madden. In-district small donations, Shrestha said, would prove key to boosting her campaign’s war chest under new public financing rules which match contributions under $250 from district residents who are not registered lobbyists.

“The metric we’re prioritizing this time is not the total dollar amount raised, but rather the number of unique district donors,” said Shrestha, “Donating money to a political campaign is not something many people are used to, but having a conversation with our supporters about campaign finance and getting them to make a contribution is a way of strengthening our connection with them and giving them a bigger sense of ownership over the campaign.”

Madden also touted the public matching funds which, her campaign said, will boost her total war chest to nearly $70,000. In a statement Monday, Madden said she had received nearly 100 in-district donations, including 90 that fell within the public matching funds criteria.

“The outpouring of support for our community-centered and people-powered campaign has been extraordinary, and I am filled with gratitude for every Ulster and Dutchess resident who has put their faith in me to serve the Hudson Valley,” Madden said. “I’m humbled by this initial showing of support for this campaign and energized to continue delivering our positive message of providing real representation in the State Assembly.”

Duo Decry Donors

Two Kingston lawmakers with close ties to the DSA — Michele Hirsch (D-Ward 9) and Michael Tierney (D-Ward 2) — blasted Madden for accepting campaign contributions from local real estate interests. In a statement released Monday, the pair noted that Madden’s campaign had received $1,000 from Rich Lanzarone, president of the Hudson Valley Property Owners Association. The HVPOA launched a legal action attempting to overturn Kingston’s invocation of the Emergency Tenant Protection Act which imposed price controls and stronger state oversight on some rental properties. The group also sued to void the city’s Rent Guidelines board’s unprecedented decision to order a 15 percent rent reduction at ETPA properties. The group is also part of an effort to challenge an amendment to the ETPA aimed at helping municipalities determine if they are eligible to enact rent regulation under the law.

The two city lawmakers also pointed out the Madden’s campaign’s acceptance of a $1,000 from Seema Gruden, CEO of Opus Management, which operates the city’s Chestnut Mansion apartment complex. Residents of the complex, which is covered by the ETPA, have complained of heat and gas outages, rat infestations and other issues and accused management of turning a blind eye to the issues. Hirsch and Tierney added that Madden had also received $1,000 donations from two board members of the Real Estate Board of New York which has spent millions lobbying against tenant protection and rent control policies.

“It’s no surprise that the real estate industry is wading into local elections as part of their campaign to keep taking in record profits and block tenant protections,” said Tierney, who served on the city’s Rent Guidelines Board prior to his election. “But candidates seeking to represent our community should reject their donations and make clear that they will fight for tenants in our district.”

Madden — a Kingston native — pushed back against those accusations, calling them a “red herring” intended to distract voters from other issues. She also took at a jab at Shrestha’s 2018 arrival in the district from Brooklyn ahead of a wave of Covid refuges from downstate who have contributed to huge increases in local rents and home prices and accused the incumbent of failing to make progress on housing-related issues in her first term in office.

“The Hudson Valley has always been my home,” Madden wrote. “Providing stable and safe Housing by supporting affordable housing, tenant protections, responsible development, and delivering real property tax relief is a key pillar of my campaign platform,” Madden wrote. “I'll always work for the community to address the housing crisis including continuing to listen to everyone's voices on these important issues.”