By Mark Scott
Albany, NY – The candidates who ran for New York governor this year have submitted their final campaign finance reports.
The reports show Governor Pataki spent all his campaign treasury to win re-election to a third term. In the final weeks of his campaign, Pataki received $25,000 in contributions from various companies run by developer Carl Paladino. Thomas O'Neill, Jr. of Buffalo also made a $25,000 contribution to the governor.
Among the major contributions made to Democratic challenger H. Carl McCall was $30,000 from Region Nine of the United Auto Workers union in Buffalo. McCall's running mate, Dennis Mehiel, according to the reports, spent $6 million of his own money on their campaign. That included loans he told the Albany Times Union that he doesn't expect will be repaid.
Rochester billionaire Tom Golisano spent nearly $74 million in his campaign for governor on the Independence line.