Rice has benefited from the fundraising muscle of the DCCC — as of June 4 she had outraised and outspent Blakeman by factors of about 5-1 and 4-1, Federal Election Commission figures show. The backing of national Democrats — in a district that has sent a Democrat to Congress for the past 18 years, favored President Barack Obama by margins of 13 and 11 percent in the 2012 and 2008 elections, respectively, and has 34,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans — and Rice’s name recognition from three successful runs for countywide office has made her the frontrunner in the eyes of some pundits.

But Blakeman enjoys the backing of the Nassau County Republican Party, which has long proven its ability to drive its partisans to the polls. Blakeman is also hoping that flagging national support for Obama buoys his chances. While the 1st Congressional District race in Suffolk County has so far attracted more attention from Republicans outside the region, Blakeman is not without fundraising resources after a career spent as an elected leader, lawyer and businessman in Nassau and Manhattan. And Blakeman has three lines on the November ballot to Rice’s two: he has the Republican, Conservative and Independence parties’ nominations, she the Democratic and Working Family parties’ nominations.

“Both candidates showed the strength in the primary that could help them in the general election,” said Lawrence Levy, executive dean of the National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University. “In Blakeman’s case, he can count on a maximum effort from what is still a pretty strong local Republican organization that will get out its vote. And Rice showed the strength that comes with a full court press and the millions of dollars that a motivated DCCC” can generate.

“Blakeman needs to show that he can attract independents and moderate Democrats, which is one of Rice’s strengths as a vote-getter,” Levy continued “… And Rice has to show that she can motivate minority voters to come to the polls in a non-presidential election ear. That’s the challenge for both of them.”