Kara Hahn Raises Over $250,000, So Far, In Congressional Run: Rep

STONY BROOK, NY — In her first month since announcing her bid for the 1st Congressional District, Suffolk County Legis. Kara Hahn, a Democrat, has raised over $250,000 with the majority of contributions coming from in-district donors, according to her campaign.

Over 150 community members showed up in support of Hahn at her June 2 campaign launch, and that coupled with the results of her first Federal Election Commission filing deadline, which is Thursday, has demonstrated that there’s "serious momentum behind her candidacy," said campaign manager Kelley Hardon.

She went on to say that the district's supporters are invested in "electing a proven leader, born and raised in the district, to represent their values in Congress."

“In just a few short weeks, voters are already connecting with Kara’s story of perseverance and commitment to middle class families,” Hardon said, adding, “Our early fundraising success is a result of Kara’s connection with her community and Democrats near and far recognizing her potential to finally flip this seat from red to blue.”

Hahn is one of two local lawmakers to throw their hats in the ring for the 1st Congressional District seat now held by U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley). Zeldin is the presumptive Republican nominee to run against Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2022.

Hahn, a Setauket resident who previously served as the Legislature's communications director before her election in 2011, now serves as the deputy presiding officer of the Legislature. She will face off in a primary next year with colleague, Legis. Bridget Fleming of Sag Harbor, who previously lost a primary race to Nancy Goroff, Zeldin's unsuccessful challenger from 2020.

In Hahn's campaign announcement on Twitter, she said Long Island faces enormous challenges "from protecting our land and water from pollutants to investing in our railroad and roadways."

"These issues can't wait — we need someone in Congress who understands what families in our community are up against," she added.

In a follow up tweet, Hahn said that if supporters believe Congress could use more members "that know what it's like to work a shift at McDonalds, rely on food stamps as a single mom, or spend decades paying down student debt — join our team to give middle class families a seat at the table."