Melinda Katz, Queen of Real Estate Fundraising [UPDATED]

The chairwoman of the City Council’s land use committee, Melinda Katz, has apparently gotten the memo that there’s a whole lot of cash in the real estate industry. Just a quick glance at her fund-raising numbers for the past six months—the termed-out Queens legislator is running for city comptroller in 2009—suggests that real estate was by far the most dominant industry on her donor list, accounting for the bulk of the large donations, and maybe even composing most of the $592,000 total raised.

[UPDATE 5:05 p.m.: Indeed more than half of Ms. Katz's funds from the past semester, at least $298,000 by our quick tally, came from real estate professionals and their families].

The numbers from the candidates are trickling in today on the Campaign Finance Board Web site.

To name a few for Ms. Katz:

• Four executives at brokerage firm Newmark Knight Frank donated $18,800 total, and Newmark president Jimmy Kuhn was listed as an intermediary, or fundraiser, for Ms. Katz.

• Joe Sitt, the principal of Thor Equities who wants to build his own amusement park in Coney Island against the city’s will—$4,950 (the max for the comptroller’s race).

• Five executives at Taconic Investment Partners, a company that owns significant land just outside the amusement zone at Coney Island and would benefit greatly from a city rezoning, gave $10,000 total.

• Elghanayan brothers Henry, Kamra, and Frederick, principals at Rockrose Development, each gave Ms. Katz $333.

Ms. Katz also appeared to be infiltrating the ranks of the current comptroller’s office, as she raised a total of $288 from three donors who listed their employer as the city comptroller.