Harckham and Esposito spar over Spitzer donation

Republican State Senate candidate Sergio Esposito is urging incumbent Democrat Pete Harckham to return a $2,700 campaign contribution from former Gov. Eliot Spitzer, citing controversies surrounding Spitzer’s past conduct. But Harckham accused Esposito of trying to deflect attention from Republicans’ records on women’s rights and public safety.

According to Esposito’s campaign, state Board of Elections filings show that Spitzer contributed $2,700 to Harckham’s campaign this election cycle. Esposito, a Yorktown councilman and deputy supervisor, characterized Spitzer as one of Harckham’s biggest donors and questioned the incumbent’s decision to accept the contribution.

Spitzer, a Democrat, resigned as governor in March 2008 after being linked to a prostitution ring. In 2016, he was investigated following allegations that he pushed and choked a woman at a Manhattan hotel.

"If Pete Harckham is the champion for women that he claims to be, he will return the $2,700 donation he received from Eliot Spitzer immediately. The disgraced ex-governor has proven himself to be a creep time and again,” Esposito said in a prepared statement released by his campaign on Oct. 14. “And the fact that my opponent is comfortable accepting money from a man who preyed on and took advantage of women is unacceptable.”

The New York State Board of Elections lists a $5,000 contribution limit for individual, nonfamily contributions to state Senate candidates for the 2026 primary and general elections. Spitzer’s $2,700 contribution is below that limit.

Esposito also called on Harckham to explain why he accepted the contribution, arguing that the decision raises questions about his judgment and values.

“Pete Harckham proudly stands with women across New York and fights for their safety and well-being. Sergio Esposito, instead, wants to distract voters from the state Republicans’ woeful, non-existent support for women,” Harckham’s office said in a statement to Halston Media. “He stands along with other state Republicans who opposed the Equal Rights Amendment, Roe v. Wade and the life-saving Red Flag Law.”

He added that “no Republicans voted in favor of Sen. Harckham’s law removing firearms from people charged with domestic violence either, as they prioritize politics over public safety.”

Harckham, in the statement, did not address the donation directly.