Long Island · Follow the money · 2026
Teachers union money in Long Island elections
Every contribution from teachers unions and their PACs — NYSUT and its VOTE-COPE PAC, the UFT and AFT, UUP and PSC-CUNY (college faculty unions in NYSUT/AFT), and Long Island teachers and faculty associations — to Nassau and Suffolk candidates and party committees, from NYSBOE filings, Nov 5, 2025 – Oct 19, 2026. Last-minute 24-hour notices (Oct 20 – Nov 2) and federal (FEC) contributions to LI House candidates are listed separately and not in the totals.
$70,425
from 7 teachers unions and PACs · 68 contributions · to 33 candidates and 2 party committees
Republican $12,825Democratic $56,450Conservative $300Other/not verified $850
$12,825to Republicans (candidates + committees)
$56,450to Democrats
$1,150to Conservative / WFP / other
+$10,000federal AFT to LI House Democrats (FEC, not in total)
To candidates
$69,025
Republican $12,325Democratic $55,550Conservative $300Other/not verified $850
To party committees
$1,400
Republican $500Democratic $900
Every candidate who received teachers-union contributions (33)
1
Assembly AD 6 · Suffolk
Central Islip Teachers Assn $6,000 · NYSUT VOTE-COPE (PAC) $550
$6,5504
2
State Senate SD 4 · Suffolk
UUP (United University Professions) $4,500 · NYSUT VOTE-COPE (PAC) $2,000
$6,5005
3
Assembly AD 11 · Suffolk
UUP (United University Professions) $3,000 · NYSUT VOTE-COPE (PAC) $2,250 · NYSUT (New York State United Teachers) $1,000
$6,2505
4
Assembly AD 4 · Suffolk
NYSUT VOTE-COPE (PAC) $3,000 · UUP (United University Professions) $3,000
$6,0003
6
Steve SternDem
Assembly AD 10 · Suffolk
UUP (United University Professions) $3,000 · NYSUT VOTE-COPE (PAC) $500
$3,5003
7
Assembly AD 21 · Nassau
UUP (United University Professions) $3,000 · NYSUT VOTE-COPE (PAC) $250
$3,2503
17CL
Chad LennonRep
Suffolk Legislator · not on 2026 ballot
Faculty Assn of Suffolk County Community College $1,100
$1,1003
20JM
Jim MazzarellaRep
Suffolk Legislator · not on 2026 ballot
Faculty Assn of Suffolk County Community College $550 · William Floyd United Teachers $250
$8003
21RR
RJ RennaOther
Suffolk committee (party not verified) · not on 2026 ballot
Faculty Assn of Suffolk County Community College $550
$5502
22SB
Stephanie BontempiRep
Suffolk Legislator · not on 2026 ballot
Faculty Assn of Suffolk County Community College $550
$5502
25JK
John KennedyRep
Suffolk Comptroller · not on 2026 ballot
Faculty Assn of Suffolk County Community College $450
$4502
26SF
Steven FlotteronRep
Suffolk Legislator · not on 2026 ballot
Faculty Assn of Suffolk County Community College $350
$3501
27NC
Nick CaracappaCon
Suffolk Legislator · not on 2026 ballot
Faculty Assn of Suffolk County Community College $300
$3001
28SF
Sal FormicaRep
Suffolk Legislator · not on 2026 ballot
Faculty Assn of Suffolk County Community College $300
$3001
29DT
Dominick ThorneRep
Suffolk Legislator · not on 2026 ballot
Faculty Assn of Suffolk County Community College $300
$3001
30SS
Sanin (Suffolk for Sanin)Other
Suffolk committee (party not verified) · not on 2026 ballot
Faculty Assn of Suffolk County Community College $300
$3001
33TB
Trish BerginRep
Islip Town Council · Suffolk · not on 2026 ballot
Faculty Assn of Suffolk County Community College $250
$2501
By union or PAC: totals and every contribution
NYSUT VOTE-COPE (PAC)
$38,77533 contributions · candidates $38,775 · party committees $0
Republican $7,225Democratic $31,550
All 33 contributions
| Date | Recipient | Office / committee | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/18/25 | Kwani B. O'PharrowDem | Assembly AD 11 · Suffolk | $1,000† |
| 02/12/26 | Rebecca A. KassayDem | Assembly AD 4 · Suffolk | $500 |
| 02/18/26 | Michaelle C. SolagesDem | Assembly AD 22 · Nassau | $500 |
| 02/27/26 | Monica R. MartinezDem | State Senate SD 4 · Suffolk | $500 |
| 03/03/26 | Patricia M. Canzoneri-FitzpatrickRep | State Senate SD 9 · Nassau | $500 |
| 03/04/26 | Michael A. DursoRep | Assembly AD 9 · Suffolk | $250 |
| 03/16/26 | Steve SternDem | Assembly AD 10 · Suffolk | $250 |
| 03/18/26 | Dean MurrayRep | State Senate SD 3 · Suffolk | $350† |
| 03/18/26 | Philip R. RamosDem | Assembly AD 6 · Suffolk | $250 |
| 03/18/26 | Kwani B. O'PharrowDem | Assembly AD 11 · Suffolk | $250† |
| 03/27/26 | Charles D. LavineDem | Assembly AD 13 · Nassau | $500 |
| 03/30/26 | Jarett C. GandolfoRep | State Senate SD 8 · Suffolk | $250 |
| 04/08/26 | Edward P. RaRep | Assembly AD 19 · Nassau | $1,000 |
| 05/13/26 | Philip R. RamosDem | Assembly AD 6 · Suffolk | $300 |
| 05/13/26 | Judy A. GriffinDem | Assembly AD 21 · Nassau | $250† |
| 05/29/26 | Noah BurroughsDem | Assembly AD 18 · Nassau | $3,000 |
| 06/09/26 | Steve SternDem | Assembly AD 10 · Suffolk | $250 |
| 06/29/26 | Monica R. MartinezDem | State Senate SD 4 · Suffolk | $500 |
| 08/13/26 | Dean MurrayRep | State Senate SD 3 · Suffolk | $500 |
| 08/21/26 | Douglas M. SmithRep | Assembly AD 5 · Suffolk | $2,125† |
| 08/21/26 | Kwani B. O'PharrowDem | Assembly AD 11 · Suffolk | $1,000† |
| 09/03/26 | Monica R. MartinezDem | State Senate SD 4 · Suffolk | $1,000 |
| 09/30/26 | Rebecca A. KassayDem | Assembly AD 4 · Suffolk | $2,500 |
| 10/05/26 | Craig G. HerskowitzDem | Assembly AD 12 · Suffolk | $3,000 |
| 10/05/26 | Kim KeisermanDem | Assembly AD 16 · Nassau | $3,000 |
| 10/05/26 | Dean MurrayRep | State Senate SD 3 · Suffolk | $500 |
| 10/06/26 | Josh SlaughterDem | Assembly AD 3 · Suffolk | $3,000 |
| 10/07/26 | Trish KoppDem | Assembly AD 7 · Suffolk | $3,000 |
| 10/09/26 | Tommy John SchiavoniDem | Assembly AD 1 · Suffolk | $3,000 |
| 10/09/26 | Noah BurroughsDem | Assembly AD 18 · Nassau | $2,000 |
| 10/09/26 | Edward P. RaRep | Assembly AD 19 · Nassau | $1,250† |
| 10/09/26 | Mario R. MatteraRep | State Senate SD 2 · Suffolk | $500† |
| 10/19/26 | Charles D. LavineDem | Assembly AD 13 · Nassau | $2,000 |
Filed as: Committee Teachers of Education; FRIENDS OF ED RA; Friends of Mario Mattera; JUDY 2026; Murray for New York; New Yorkers for Kwani; Nysut Vote Cope; Smith for New York; VOTE COPE of NYS; VOTE-COPE of NYSUT; Voice For Teachers For Education Committ; Voice Of Teachers Education Committee …
UUP (United University Professions)
$17,5009 contributions · candidates $17,500 · party committees $0
Republican $1,000Democratic $16,500
All 9 contributions
| Date | Recipient | Office / committee | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01/27/26 | Joseph P. DeStefanoRep | Assembly AD 3 · Suffolk | $500 |
| 02/24/26 | Monica R. MartinezDem | State Senate SD 4 · Suffolk | $1,000 |
| 03/23/26 | Judy A. GriffinDem | Assembly AD 21 · Nassau | $500 |
| 04/01/26 | Joseph P. DeStefanoRep | Assembly AD 3 · Suffolk | $500 |
| 09/25/26 | Monica R. MartinezDem | State Senate SD 4 · Suffolk | $3,500† |
| 09/29/26 | Kwani B. O'PharrowDem | Assembly AD 11 · Suffolk | $3,000† |
| 09/29/26 | Steve SternDem | Assembly AD 10 · Suffolk | $3,000† |
| 09/30/26 | Rebecca A. KassayDem | Assembly AD 4 · Suffolk | $3,000 |
| 10/05/26 | Judy A. GriffinDem | Assembly AD 21 · Nassau | $2,500 |
Filed as: Friends Of Steve Stern; Monica For NY; New Yorkers for Kwani; UUP HIGHER EDUCATION ACTION FUND; UUP Higher Education Action Fund; UUP Higher Education Action Fund PAC
Faculty Association of Suffolk County Community College
$6,40021 contributions · candidates $5,000 · party committees $1,400
Republican $4,350Democratic $900Conservative $300Other/not verified $850
All 21 contributions
| Date | Recipient | Office / committee | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11/26/25 | Chad LennonRep | Suffolk Legislator | $500 |
| 12/15/25 | Suffolk County Republican Committee (SCGOP)Rep | Suffolk party committee | $250 |
| 02/09/26 | RJ RennaOther | Suffolk committee (party not verified) | $300† |
| 02/17/26 | Nick CaracappaCon | Suffolk Legislator | $300 |
| 02/28/26 | Jim MazzarellaRep | Suffolk Legislator | $300 |
| 03/03/26 | Chad LennonRep | Suffolk Legislator | $300 |
| 03/05/26 | John KennedyRep | Suffolk Comptroller | $300 |
| 03/27/26 | Stephanie BontempiRep | Suffolk Legislator | $300 |
| 04/10/26 | Sal FormicaRep | Suffolk Legislator | $300 |
| 04/15/26 | Steven FlotteronRep | Suffolk Legislator | $350 |
| 04/15/26 | Dominick ThorneRep | Suffolk Legislator | $300 |
| 04/15/26 | Suffolk County Democratic CommitteeDem | Suffolk party committee | $300 |
| 04/29/26 | Trish BerginRep | Islip Town Council · Suffolk | $250 |
| 06/11/26 | Stephanie BontempiRep | Suffolk Legislator | $250 |
| 06/23/26 | RJ RennaOther | Suffolk committee (party not verified) | $250† |
| 07/20/26 | Suffolk County Republican Committee (SCGOP)Rep | Suffolk party committee | $250† |
| 07/22/26 | John KennedyRep | Suffolk Comptroller | $150† |
| 08/19/26 | Chad LennonRep | Suffolk Legislator | $300† |
| 08/26/26 | Jim MazzarellaRep | Suffolk Legislator | $250 |
| 09/18/26 | Suffolk County Democratic CommitteeDem | Suffolk party committee | $600 |
| 09/23/26 | Sanin (Suffolk for Sanin)Other | Suffolk committee (party not verified) | $300† |
Filed as: FACULTY ASSOCIATION OF SCC; FRIENDS OF RJ RENNA; Faculty Assoc Suffolk Community College; Faculty Association; Faculty Association Of Scc; Faculty Association SC Community College; Faculty Association Scc; Faculty Association Sccc; Faculty Association Suffolk Community Co; Friends Of John M. Kennedy Jr.; Friends of Chad Lennon; Friends of RJ Renna …
Central Islip Teachers Association
$6,0002 contributions · candidates $6,000 · party committees $0
Democratic $6,000
All 2 contributions
| Date | Recipient | Office / committee | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04/28/26 | Philip R. RamosDem | Assembly AD 6 · Suffolk | $3,000 |
| 04/29/26 | Philip R. RamosDem | Assembly AD 6 · Suffolk | $3,000 |
Filed as: Central Islip Teachers Association PAC
NYSUT (New York State United Teachers)
$1,0001 contributions · candidates $1,000 · party committees $0
Democratic $1,000
All 1 contributions
| Date | Recipient | Office / committee | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 06/16/26 | Kwani B. O'PharrowDem | Assembly AD 11 · Suffolk | $1,000 |
Filed as: NYSUT
PSC-CUNY
$5001 contributions · candidates $500 · party committees $0
Democratic $500
All 1 contributions
| Date | Recipient | Office / committee | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10/03/26 | Michaelle C. SolagesDem | Assembly AD 22 · Nassau | $500 |
Filed as: PSC PAC
William Floyd United Teachers
$2501 contributions · candidates $250 · party committees $0
Republican $250
All 1 contributions
| Date | Recipient | Office / committee | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/09/25 | Jim MazzarellaRep | Suffolk Legislator | $250 |
Filed as: William Floyd United Teachers
Money to party committees & political clubs, not candidates (2)
Why are party committees here? Town and county party committees and local party clubs are registered political committees. Teachers unions gave them $1,400 directly — 2% of the $70,425 total. This money is separate from the $69,025 given to candidates.
| Committee | Largest givers | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Dem Suffolk County Democratic Committee | Faculty Association of Suffolk County Community College $900 | $900 |
| Rep Suffolk County Republican Committee (SCGOP) | Faculty Association of Suffolk County Community College $500 | $500 |
Last-minute contributions: 24-hour notices, Oct 20 – Nov 2 ($0, not in totals)
No 24-hour notices of teachers-union contributions to Nassau or Suffolk candidates or committees were filed with NYSBOE for Oct 20 – Nov 2 (notices checked: all filed for that window). Teachers-union notices in that window went to candidates and committees outside Long Island.
Federal: LI House candidates (FEC, Nov 5, 2025 – Oct 14, 2026; $10,000, not in totals)
| Date | Recipient | Office | From | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01/26/26 | Tom SuozziDem | U.S. House NY-3 | AFT (American Federation of Teachers) | $5,000 |
| 01/26/26 | Laura GillenDem | U.S. House NY-4 | AFT (American Federation of Teachers) | $5,000 |
How we counted
- Donors: organizations (not individuals) whose filed name identifies a teachers or faculty union or its PAC, including spelling variants (“Voice of Teachers for Education”, “VOTE COPE”, “NYSUT VOTE-COPE” are all NYSUT’s PAC). College faculty unions in NYSUT/AFT (UUP, PSC-CUNY, Faculty Association of Suffolk County Community College) are included and labeled. Excluded: school administrators’ groups, teachers’ credit unions, parent-teacher organizations, TIAA, retiree groups and individual teachers.
- Two NYSBOE sources: what recipients reported receiving (Schedules A–D), and what the union PACs reported paying out (Schedule F of NYSUT VOTE-COPE, UFT COPE, UUP, the Suffolk Community College Faculty Association and the Central Islip Teachers Association PAC). A union-reported payment is added (marked †) only when the recipient’s filing shows no matching receipt (same union, same amount, within 60 days); otherwise it is counted once.
- Recipients: committees of 2026 Nassau and Suffolk ballot candidates, plus committees NYSBOE codes to Nassau or Suffolk (local officeholders, some not on this year’s ballot) and LI party committees and clubs. Party labels are the candidate’s main ballot line; for officeholders not on the 2026 ballot, their most recent line.
- Not included in totals: $6,358 to statewide campaigns (e.g. DiNapoli for New York); $3,333 moved between teachers-union PACs themselves (e.g. to the Nassau Community College Federation of Teachers VOTE-COPE); $100 to “Long Beach United”, a Nassau committee whose office is not stated. Large NYSUT and UFT contributions to statewide party and legislative campaign committees (e.g. NYS Democratic Assembly and Senate Campaign Committees) are not Long Island races and are not counted.
- Transactions are deduplicated by filer and transaction number with amendments preferred. Party labels are the candidate’s main ballot line; for officeholders not on the 2026 ballot, their most recent line; “Other” marks two Suffolk committees whose party we could not verify. Amounts do not suggest wrongdoing.
Sources: NYSBOE disclosure data · NYSBOE 24-hour notices · FEC receipts · Methodology
See also: Law enforcement union money in LI elections · Law firm money
Rae Arora · Long Island Election Guide 2026