Outside money swamped a New York race neither candidate could vote in

Leaked photos sparked a fundraising surge

After the New York Post published archived images of Democrat Chris Gallant modeling bondage gear for a San Francisco leather retailer, his campaign raised more than the incumbent in the same quarter.

Gallant's third-quarter haul beat LaLota's

Gallant raised nine hundred twenty-nine thousand eight hundred twenty-five dollars for July through September. Rep. Nick LaLota reported about six hundred nine thousand dollars for the same period.

But LaLota won the race anyway

LaLota won a third term in New York's first congressional district last Tuesday with fifty-one point one percent to forty-eight point nine percent, a margin of nearly seven thousand votes.

His margin shrank dramatically from 2024

LaLota's winning margin fell from about eleven points in two thousand twenty-four to about two points this year, in a cycle when Democrats swept to control of Congress.

Most money came from outside the district

In-district donors accounted for about sixteen percent of LaLota's money from named individuals and just over a third of Gallant's, according to a Fortune review of both campaigns' raw two thousand twenty-six FEC filings through…

The leak money followed the same pattern

In the thirty-two days after the Post story ran on September thirteen, Gallant reported two hundred seventy-six thousand fifty-five dollars in itemized contributions.

Manhattan and California gave more than the district

Donors in Manhattan and California gave Gallant seventy-three thousand six hundred six dollars combined, more than every donor inside NY-one put together after the leak.

Neither candidate could vote for himself

Both LaLota and Gallant reside near Amityville on Long Island's South Shore, outside the district they were running to represent, meaning neither could vote for himself.

NY-one is a summer address for the wealthy

The district runs from Suffolk County's North Shore villages to the East End, with vineyards and farms on the North Fork and the Hamptons on the South Fork.

Suffolk County is a major political ATM

Suffolk County donors gave more than forty-five million dollars to campaigns in the two thousand twenty cycle alone, according to OpenSecrets data CNBC cited.

Gallant's attorney confirmed the photos were real

After the Post story, Gallant's attorney Sara Azari, who previously represented former Rep. Eric Swalwell after misconduct allegations, confirmed the photos were authentic and consensual.

Gallant called it his Kim Kardashian moment

Gallant told the New York Times he hoped it could be his Kim Kardashian moment, and the campaign began selling Make Politics Sexy Again merchandise.

“Kim Kardashian moment”

LaLota called Gallant weak and woke

LaLota stuck to calling Gallant weak and woke and needled him for declining to debate, while Gallant's campaign said the story backfired and let voters see a proud gay man who refused to be ashamed.

LaLota had a bigger war chest overall

Through October fourteen, LaLota had raised four point five million dollars and had two point three one million dollars in cash on hand.

Hamptons money dominated Gallant's local support

About half of Gallant's in-district money, about one hundred fifty-nine thousand dollars, came from the Hamptons and Shelter Island.

Wall Street and Hollywood backed both campaigns

Gallant's donors included hedge fund founder Stephen Mandel, Cox Enterprises heiress Katharine Rayner, Creative Artists Agency co-chairman Kevin Huvane and former Time Warner CEO Jeffrey Bewkes.LaLota received support from Charles Schwab and billionaire Leonard Blavatnik.

The money stayed masked on Election Day

LaLota raised about eighty-four cents of every named dollar from outside the district; Gallant, nearly two-thirds.