Trailing in the polls — and in campaign cash — Republican mayoral candidate Joe Lhota is overhauling his fund-raising team with less than seven weeks before Election Day, the Daily News has learned.
Lhota is poised to hire Jason Weingartner, the state Republican Party’s finance director, to direct the money-finding operation.
The candidate’s wife, veteran fund-raiser Tamra Lhota, has been overseeing fund-raising for the campaign, with the help of veteran GOP money woman Tamara Hallisey.
The two had success bringing Lhota large donations early in the game, but Hallisey recently left the campaign and now Weingartner is being brought in to focus on pulling in small, local contributions that qualify for public matching dollars.
Tamra Lhota will remain involved in raising money, a campaign spokeswoman said, but will start spending more time out on the stump with her husband.
Campaign veterans not involved in the mayor’s race called the retooling of Lhota’s operation so late in the campaign unusual.
When it comes to raising big donations and the smaller matchable gifts, “I would suggest both things needed to be happening Day One,” said one consultant unaffiliated with any mayoral candidate.
Lhota always faced a cash challenge in the heavily Democratic city, but new poll numbers showing he’s far behind Democrat Bill de Blasio will complicate the effort, insiders said.
“I think most people respect Joe,” but many have doubts he can win, said one leader in the business community, where Lhota has high fund-raising hopes. This person added, “So while they may max out just to be polite, they’re unlikely to put in the work to raise a lot of money in $4,500 increments.”
akarni@nydailynews.com
