Council Candidate Shafran Quickly Maxes Out For Matching Funds
Austin Shafran
In just under five weeks of fundraising, Austin Shafran, a candidate for New York City Council in northeast Queens, has maxed out on his matching funds for the Democratic primary, raising $15,836.
“We’re thrilled to have the support of such a large and diverse group of community members,” said a spokesperson for Shafran’s campaign.
By comparison, two of Shafran’s opponents in the primary, Paul Vallone and former Assemblyman John Duane, have raised more in total contributions, but Vallone has been fundraising since September and Duane since April of 2012. The other Democratic candidate, Matthew Silverstein, is lagging despite fundraising since October 2011. The winner of the Democratic primary will face off against incumbent Councilman Dan Halloran, a Republican, in the general election.
Shafran, most recently a vice president of public relations for Empire State Development, has also received labor endorsements from the UFCW and Teamsters union in the last ten days.
Tags: 2013 city council races, 2013 Democratic primary, Austin Shafran, campaign fundraising, Dan Halloran, John Duane, Matching Funds, Matthew Silverstein, northeast queens, Paul Vallone, Teamsters, UFCW