Campaign Finance
Following the money: Where Rep. Langworthy's campaign funding comes from
Campaign Finance
Two distinct analyses are on this page. They cover different time periods, different data sources, and different questions.
| Section | What It Covers | Data Through |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Fundraising | FEC contributions to Langworthy’s congressional campaign | February 2025 (2023–2024 cycle) |
| IDA Apparatus Analysis | State-level donations to Langworthy-controlled committees vs. IDA tax exemptions | March 2026 |
→ Interactive Network Map — zoom, pan, and explore every node and connection in the IDA donor apparatus.
Federal Campaign Finance (2023–2024)
Data source: OpenSecrets.org — 2023–2024 election cycle, current as of February 6, 2025. The 2025–2026 cycle is underway; updated figures will be added when OpenSecrets publishes them.
Campaign Overview
Fundraising Summary:
- Total Raised: $1,895,322
- Total Spent: $891,983
- Cash on Hand: $1,093,808
- Debts: $0
- Last Report: December 31, 2024
Sources of Funding
| Source | Amount | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| PAC Contributions | $856,664 | 45.20% |
| Large Individual Contributions (>$200) | $823,726 | 43.46% |
| Other | $148,855 | 7.85% |
| Small Individual Contributions (<$200) | $66,077 | 3.48% |
| Candidate Self-Financing | $0 | 0.00% |
Geographic Distribution
In-State vs. Out-of-State
| Type | Amount | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| In-State (New York) | $803,286 | 77.70% |
| Out-of-State | $230,566 | 22.30% |
In-District vs. Out-of-District
| Type | Amount | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| In-District (NY-23) | $303,271 | 29.33% |
| Out-of-District | $701,384 | 67.84% |
| No District Listed | $29,197 | 2.82% |
Key Finding: While 77.70% of contributions come from New York State, only 29.33% come from within NY-23. Over two-thirds of contributions (67.84%) come from outside the district.
Top Metro Areas
- Buffalo-Niagara Falls: $466,247
- Washington, DC-MD-VA-WV: $94,521
- New York City: $77,375
- Nassau-Suffolk: $61,314
- Rochester: $54,556
Top Zip Codes
- 14221 (Buffalo, NY): $48,803
- 14127 (Orchard Park, NY): $47,570
- 14031 (Clarence, NY): $43,896
- 14051 (East Amherst, NY): $35,848
- 11559 (Lawrence, NY): $22,349
- 14094 (Lockport, NY): $20,275
- 14086 (Lancaster, NY): $17,209
- 14216 (Buffalo, NY): $16,115
- 14075 (Hamburg, NY): $15,034
- 14092 (Lewiston, NY): $14,600
Top 20 Industry Contributors
| Rank | Industry | Total | From Individuals | From PACs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leadership PACs | $95,700 | $0 | $95,700 |
| 2 | Retired | $83,640 | $83,640 | $0 |
| 3 | Real Estate | $80,662 | $74,662 | $6,000 |
| 4 | Lobbyists | $78,947 | $78,947 | $0 |
| 5 | Securities & Investment | $77,469 | $58,469 | $19,000 |
| 6 | Health Professionals | $72,698 | $38,698 | $34,000 |
| 7 | Pro-Israel | $67,893 | $57,893 | $10,000 |
| 8 | Oil & Gas | $66,466 | $16,466 | $50,000 |
| 9 | Lawyers/Law Firms | $59,189 | $54,939 | $4,250 |
| 10 | Special Trade Contractors | $56,105 | $35,605 | $20,500 |
| 11 | Transportation Unions | $51,000 | $0 | $51,000 |
| 12 | Crop Production & Basic Processing | $50,499 | $17,499 | $33,000 |
| 13 | Insurance | $46,883 | $3,633 | $43,250 |
| 14 | Republican/Conservative | $37,925 | $31,925 | $6,000 |
| 15 | Beer, Wine & Liquor | $37,474 | $6,575 | $30,899 |
| 16 | Electronics Manufacturing & Equipment | $36,400 | $25,400 | $11,000 |
| 17 | Civil Servants/Public Officials | $34,270 | $34,270 | $0 |
| 18 | Agricultural Services/Products | $33,250 | $0 | $33,250 |
| 19 | Building Materials & Equipment | $29,755 | $12,255 | $17,500 |
| 20 | Telecom Services | $26,500 | $0 | $26,500 |
Notable Industry Contributions
- Oil & Gas (Rank 8): $66,466 total
- Lobbyists (Rank 4): $78,947 entirely from individuals
- Pro-Israel Groups (Rank 7): $67,893 total
Top Contributors
Top 10 Organizations/Contributors
| Rank | Organization | Total | From PAC | From Individuals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) | $31,550 | $10,000 | $21,550 |
| 2 | Corning Inc | $31,150 | $10,000 | $21,150 |
| 3 | Blackstone Group | $25,219 | $0 | $25,219 |
| 4 | Lippes, Mathias et al (Law Firm) | $17,381 | $0 | $17,381 |
| 5 | NorPAC (Pro-Israel) | $15,649 | $0 | $15,649 |
| 6 | Accent Stripe Inc | $13,500 | $0 | $13,500 |
| 7 | Crystal Window & Door Systems | $13,200 | $0 | $13,200 |
| 7 | Frey Electric Construction Co | $13,200 | $0 | $13,200 |
| 7 | Patrick P Lee Foundation | $13,200 | $0 | $13,200 |
| 7 | SentosaCare | $13,200 | $0 | $13,200 |
Notable $10,000 PAC Contributors
The following organizations each contributed exactly $10,000 via PAC:
- Air Line Pilots Association
- Allied Pilots Association
- American Council of Engineering Cos
- American Crystal Sugar
- American Dental Association
- American Hospital Association
- Carpenters & Joiners Union
- Charter Communications
- Constellation Brands
- Farm Credit Council
- International Franchise Association
- Koch Inc
- National Air Traffic Controllers Association
- National Beer Wholesalers Association
- National Electrical Contractors Association
- National Fuel Gas Co
- National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association
- NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots
- New York Life Insurance
- Operating Engineers Union
- Southwest Airlines Pilots Association
- UBS Americas
- UnitedHealth Group
Key Observations
PAC Dominance: 45.20% of funding comes from PACs, slightly more than large individual contributions (43.46%)
Out-of-District Funding: Despite representing NY-23, only 29.33% of contributions come from within the district, while 67.84% come from elsewhere in New York or other states
Top Industries:
- Leadership PACs ($95,700) - the largest single category
- Lobbyists ($78,947) - entirely from individuals
- Oil & Gas ($66,466) - 75% from PACs, relevant to energy policy positions
Pro-Israel Funding: Combined AIPAC ($31,550) and NorPAC ($15,649) plus Pro-Israel industry category ($67,893) represents significant support
Corporate Concentration: Blackstone Group alone contributed $25,219, representing 1.3% of total fundraising from a single financial firm
Data Source (Federal)
All federal campaign data from OpenSecrets.org (Center for Responsive Politics):
- Campaign Summary
- Geographic Breakdown
- Data current as of: February 6, 2025
- Cycle: 2023-2024
Methodology Note: Numbers above are calculated from contributions of more than $200 from individuals, as reported to the Federal Election Commission. PAC dollars are included. All figures are based on Federal Election Commission data available electronically as of February 6, 2025.
IDA Tax Exemptions and the Langworthy Apparatus
Data source: NYS Board of Elections (12.49M contribution records) + Authorities Budget Office (34,348 IDA projects). Data current as of March 2026. This analysis documents correlations, not proven causation.
What Are IDAs?
Industrial Development Agencies (IDAs) are local government bodies that grant tax exemptions to companies — property tax, sales tax, and mortgage recording tax breaks intended to attract jobs. When a company receives an IDA tax break, the lost revenue is shifted to other property taxpayers in the community. IDA board members are appointed by county legislatures.
In NY-23, every county legislature is Republican-controlled. As Erie County GOP Chairman (2010-2019) and NYS Republican Chairman (2019-2022), Langworthy exercised direct or indirect influence over the party apparatus that controls these appointments.
The Pipeline
A cross-reference of 12,490,839 New York State Board of Elections campaign contribution records against 34,348 IDA projects reported to the Authorities Budget Office reveals a documented financial feedback loop:
- County legislatures (GOP-controlled) appoint IDA board members
- IDA boards grant tax exemptions to companies
- Those companies donate to Langworthy-controlled party committees
- The apparatus funds GOP control of the county legislatures
By the Numbers
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| IDA beneficiaries who donated to Langworthy apparatus | 74 |
| Total donated to Langworthy-controlled committees | $203,812 |
| Total IDA tax exemptions received by those donors | $66.2 million |
| Return ratio | $325 in tax breaks for every $1 donated |
| Langworthy-controlled committees identified | 18 |
| Property tax burden shifted to households (8 counties) | $776 million |
| Per-household cumulative tax shift (592,500 households) | $1,310 |
Langworthy-Controlled Committees
The 18 committees identified as part of the Langworthy apparatus include:
- Friends of Nick Langworthy
- Erie County Republican Committee (Finance and Housekeeping)
- New York Republican State Committee
- County Republican committees for all 8 NY-23 counties (Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Erie, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga)
- State Conservative Campaign Committee
- Real Conservatives
All committee records are publicly available through the NYS Board of Elections.
Donations by Phase of Power
| Phase | Years | Donations | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-office | before 2010 | 120 | $142,000 |
| Erie County GOP Chair | 2010 - 2018 | 373 | $979,000 |
| NYS Republican Chair | 2019 - 2022 | 139 | $523,000 |
| U.S. Representative | 2023 - present | 158 | $132,000 |
In plain language: The bulk of the money flowed to Langworthy’s apparatus while he was Erie County GOP Chairman — years before he ran for Congress. The donor network was built at the county level.
Worst Example: Tioga Downs Racetrack
Tioga Downs Racetrack donated $500 to the Tioga County Republican Committee. The racetrack holds $18.97 million in IDA exemptions from 16 Tioga County IDA projects — a 37,942x return ratio. The county Republican committee subsequently held fundraising events at the subsidized racetrack, creating a documented round-trip money flow.
Top Donor-Beneficiaries (by Exemptions Received)
| Beneficiary | Donated | IDA Exemptions | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tioga Downs Racetrack | $500 | $18,970,743 | 37,942x |
| Moog Inc. | $1,000 | $5,066,356 | 5,066x |
| Corning Incorporated | $900 | $3,868,591 | 4,298x |
| Benderson Development | $1,150 | $3,139,004 | 2,730x |
| Zaepfel Development | $1,875 | $2,713,043 | 1,447x |
| Hamister Group | $33,700 | $6,374,663 | 189x |
| Ellicott Development | $5,775 | $892,036 | 155x |
Complete List: All 74 Donor-Beneficiaries
The following table lists every company or individual that donated to the Langworthy apparatus and holds IDA tax exemptions in New York State. Sorted by total exemptions received. See methodology note below.
| Beneficiary | Donated | IDA Exemptions | Return Ratio | IDA Agency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tioga Downs Racetrack | $500 | $18,970,743 | 37,942x | Tioga County IDA |
| David Hart | $800 | $6,188,092 | 7,735x | Chautauqua IDA |
| Moog Inc. | $1,000 | $5,066,356 | 5,066x | Erie County IDA |
| Hamister Group LLC | $17,500 | $4,959,302 | 283x | Chautauqua IDA |
| Corning Incorporated | $900 | $3,868,591 | 4,298x | Steuben County IDA |
| M&T Bank | $668 | $3,336,168 | 4,995x | Amherst IDA; Syracuse IDA |
| Rosina Food Products | $250 | $3,212,709 | 12,851x | Erie County IDA |
| Benderson Development | $1,150 | $3,139,004 | 2,730x | Erie County IDA |
| Zaepfel Development | $1,875 | $2,713,043 | 1,447x | Erie County IDA |
| Win Sum Ski Corp. | $760 | $2,486,231 | 3,271x | Cattaraugus IDA |
| Vulcraft of New York | $400 | $1,370,727 | 3,427x | Chemung IDA |
| The Hamister Group | $16,200 | $1,415,361 | 87x | Erie County IDA |
| Corning Property Management | $1,000 | $1,382,870 | 1,383x | Steuben County IDA |
| Corning (Otsego/St. Lawrence) | $1,050 | $1,102,752 | 1,050x | Otsego IDA; St. Lawrence IDA |
| Ellicott Development | $5,775 | $892,036 | 155x | Cattaraugus IDA; Erie County IDA |
| Uniland Development | $150 | $512,392 | 3,416x | Amherst IDA |
| Craig Miller | $400 | $384,933 | 962x | Riverhead IDA |
| Calamar Enterprises | $1,900 | $380,129 | 200x | Erie County IDA |
| Seneca Beverage Corp. | $400 | $372,572 | 931x | Chemung IDA |
| Nicholas Sinatra | $15,931 | $288,151 | 18x | Niagara County IDA |
| David Chiazza | $808 | $296,437 | 367x | Niagara County IDA |
| The Krog Corp. | $1,000 | $248,203 | 248x | Steuben County IDA |
| 5000 Group LLC | $2,750 | $232,941 | 85x | Amherst IDA |
| Robert Wylie | $10 | $229,191 | 22,919x | Schuyler County IDA |
| Chemung Supply Corp. | $12,000 | $214,306 | 18x | Chemung IDA |
| CATARACT REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS | $250 | $204,978 | 820x | Niagara Town IDA |
| Five Star Bank | $275 | $201,129 | 731x | Monroe IDA |
| Gordon Reger | $500 | $137,994 | 276x | Hamburg IDA |
| Gordon Companies | $125 | $145,885 | 1,167x | Erie County IDA |
| Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP | $2,000 | $119,294 | 60x | Monroe IDA |
| Michael McLaughlin | $100 | $113,757 | 1,138x | Niagara County IDA |
| WAYNE BACON | $255 | $112,581 | 442x | Cattaraugus IDA |
| Northstar Location Services | $3,500 | $126,022 | 36x | Erie County IDA |
| First Transit Inc. | $3,500 | $106,779 | 31x | Monroe IDA |
| Postler & Jaeckle | $500 | $66,738 | 134x | Chemung IDA |
| Cameron Manufacturing & Design | $1,000 | $65,460 | 65x | Chemung IDA |
| Gary Smith | $200 | $72,494 | 362x | Niagara County IDA |
| Thomas Sullivan | $375 | $60,694 | 162x | Niagara County IDA |
| Supermarket Management | $6,000 | $93,634 | 16x | Erie County IDA |
| William Savage | $500 | $59,286 | 119x | Hamburg IDA |
| Natale Building Corp. | $798 | $78,630 | 99x | Erie County IDA |
| KENNETH FRANASIAK | $1,000 | $78,037 | 78x | Niagara County IDA |
| Arnot Realty | $1,600 | $79,144 | 50x | Chemung IDA |
| John Yurtchuk | $19,450 | $79,651 | 4x | Niagara County IDA |
| Bank on Buffalo | $500 | $27,745 | 56x | Clarence IDA |
| DAVID BURKE | $2,000 | $77,122 | 39x | Clarence IDA |
| Joseph Cipolla | $25 | $52,727 | 2,109x | Lancaster IDA |
| Graphic Controls LLC | $1,500 | $25,650 | 17x | Erie County IDA |
| Silicon Carbide Products | $250 | $26,882 | 108x | Chemung IDA |
| ANGELO NATALE | $500 | $23,446 | 47x | Clarence IDA |
| Michael Jensen | $1,000 | $18,676 | 19x | Niagara County IDA |
| Finger Lakes Equipment Rental | $300 | $13,621 | 45x | Seneca County IDA |
| Iskalo Development | $4,717 | $13,894 | 3x | Erie County IDA |
| Robert Lowe | $75 | $10,895 | 145x | Clarence IDA |
| Midland Asphalt Materials | $90 | $8,338 | 93x | Wayne County IDA |
| Dennis Eshbaugh | $650 | $6,118 | 9x | Cattaraugus IDA |
| Dolomite Products | $8,025 | $41,578 | 5x | Monroe IDA |
| David Carucci | $625 | $3,283 | 5x | Cattaraugus IDA |
| Robert White | $980 | $30,000 | 31x | Chautauqua IDA |
| Michael Kelly | $27,600 | $56,750 | 2x | Wyoming County IDA |
| Carl Paladino | $11,345 | $1,752 | 0.2x | Lancaster IDA |
| Lu Engineers | $125 | $12,880 | 103x | Monroe IDA |
| Nixon Peabody | $37,875 | — | N/A | — |
| Hamister Group (combined) | — | — | — | See Hamister Group LLC above |
| Cello-Pack Corporation | $2,000 | — | N/A | — |
| Anheuser-Busch Companies | $1,500 | — | N/A | — |
| Billy-Lee LLC | $720 | — | N/A | — |
| Corning Tropel Corporation | $500 | — | N/A | — |
| R.S. Maher & Son | $125 | — | N/A | — |
| Chef’s Restaurant of Buffalo | $100 | — | N/A | — |
| Bergmann Associates | $100 | — | N/A | — |
| S&K Hospitality | $65 | — | N/A | — |
| Steuben Trust Company | $55 | — | N/A | — |
| Bill Smith | $99 | — | N/A | — |
Notes: “—” indicates donor was matched to the Langworthy apparatus but no corresponding IDA project was found in the Authorities Budget Office database. Return ratio = IDA exemptions ÷ total donated. All figures from public NYS Board of Elections and ABO records. This table documents correlations, not proven causation.
Property Tax Impact on Homeowners
When companies receive IDA tax exemptions, other property taxpayers in the community pay more. Across Langworthy’s 8 counties:
| County | Property Tax Exemptions | Households | Per Household |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erie | $467,050,891 | 390,000 | $1,198 |
| Cattaraugus | $45,323,922 | 31,000 | $1,462 |
| Chautauqua | $37,367,399 | 52,000 | $719 |
| Steuben | $37,155,610 | 39,000 | $953 |
| Chemung | $119,610,779 | 35,000 | $3,417 |
| Tioga | $55,629,085 | 20,000 | $2,781 |
| Allegany | $6,108,495 | 18,000 | $339 |
| Schuyler | $7,556,478 | 7,500 | $1,008 |
| Total | $775,802,659 | 592,500 | $1,310 |
IDA Reform Legislation
Since entering Congress in January 2023, Langworthy has:
- Introduced zero IDA reform legislation
- Voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which preserves tax-exempt IDA bonds, makes Opportunity Zones permanent, and expands LIHTC — legislatively sustaining the IDA framework
- Announced $97 million in federal funding, with at least three confirmed cases of IDA beneficiaries also receiving Langworthy-secured federal grants
Methodology
This analysis presents documented correlations between campaign donations and IDA approvals, not proven causation. Donations and approvals may reflect shared economic interests, industry clustering, or other factors rather than quid pro quo arrangements. All data is from public state databases and can be independently verified using the sources below.
Data Sources (State)
All state-level data from public New York State databases:
- Campaign Contributions: NYS Board of Elections — 12,490,839 records via Socrata API
- IDA Projects: Authorities Budget Office — 34,348 projects across 104 IDAs
- LLC Filings: NYS DOS — 448,530 LLC registrations for donor unmasking
- Data current as of: March 2026
Last updated: March 15, 2026