By Peter Sorkin
Onorato, 72, who ran against newcomer Republican Katina Kiourkenidis, spent just $9,610, leaving him with a balance of $73,845, according to the campaign finance documents.
Kiourkenidis had not yet filed or was not registered on the New York State Board of Elections website, so her financial statements were not available. She could not be reached for comment.
Onorato's district stretches from Astoria and Long Island City along northern Queens to parts of Whitestone, Flushing and Bay Terrace.
Efforts to reach Onorato for comment were unsuccessful.
In 1999 and 2000, a total of 24 labor groups contributed to Onorato, who serves as the ranking minority leader on the senate labor committee. Labor groups gave the senator $13,850, which represented nearly 17 percent of his total campaign contributions.
One of these groups, Long Island City's Bricklayers & Allied Local, gave the senator$2,950, which was the second largest donation to his campaign.
The largest donation to Onorato's campaign came from a Manhattan political action committee, the Law PAC, which gave him $3,300. PACs are groups that lobby elected officials for their constituents and are usually formed by special interest groups put together to donate money to a specific candidate.
The Law PAC was one of eight which contributed to Onorato's campaign. None of the others contributed more than $500.
Among the labor groups, Onorato received $1,000 from the International Union of Engineers and the Transport Workers Union, both of Manhattan, and the Liquor Salesmen's Union of Brooklyn in 2000. In 1999, the Voice of Teachers for Education gave the senator $1,100.
District Council 37 in Manhattan contributed $750 to Onorato in 2000. Three labor unions contributed $750 to Onorato's campaign in 1999, including Manhattan's United Brotherhood of Carpenters. Two Long Island City groups, the New York State Conference of Brick Layers, and the Sheet Metal Workers Local Union 137 also donated $750 to the senator. The Liquor Salesman's Union gave Onorato $750 in 1999, bringing its total contributions to $1,750.
Among corporate donors, the Audax Construction Corporation, a Long Island City business, contributed $3,000 to Onorato's campaign.
Onorato received contributions totaling $2,500 from Astoria's Vertical Design Construction, as well as Lidia Management Corporation First Central Savings Bank from Whitestone.
Onorato also received more than $4,000 from medical establishments. The Queens Blvd. Extended Care Facility in Woodside donated $2,300 to his campaign and The Queens Surgical Community Center of Long Island City gave the senator $2,000.
Onorato's largest contribution from an individual in 2000 came from Bayside resident Michael Dellavecchia, who gave him $750, and an additional $650 through his firm, Michael Dellavecchia and Sons, for a total of $1,400.
Of the $9,610 Onorato has spent on his campaign, the largest single amount was $1,270 for a fund-raiser held at Riccardo's restaurant in Astoria on June 28. Onorato also spent $750 for a Democratic fund-raiser held a month later in Harrison, N.Y.
Onorato spent $500 on a fund-raiser July 12 for Democratic assembly candidate Mike Gianaris, who was elected last week, and another $500 for a fund-raiser for the Democratic Organization of Queens held in Forest Hills Aug. 5.
In April, Onorato spent $825 on mailings to solicit support from voters.
