GOP candidates eye governor’s chair
November is mightily on the radar of those with ballots in mind, with the stars aligning for a heated governor”™s race.
State Senate Republican leader and gubernatorial candidate John McKinney announced his campaign for governor raised a total $101,080 from 1,109 individual contributors during the fourth fiscal quarter of 2013. To date, the McKinney campaign has raised $134,167 from 1,485 individual donors. McKinney led all declared and potential candidates for governor in fourth quarter fundraising, The Hartford Courant reported.
McKinney”™s 28th District runs from the L.I. Sound at Fairfield and Westport north to the Newtown area.
A first-term governor, Dannel P. Malloy has yet to announce formally his reelection bid. He is widely expected to run.
“We don’t have a declared candidate at this point,” James Hallinan, the state Democratic spokesman told the Courant. “However, the party is focused and dedicated to making sure whoever the candidate is, that there remains a Democrat in the governor’s chair.”
At least four candidates are seeking the Republican nomination: state Sen. John McKinney, Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, former West Hartford Town Council member Joe Visconti and Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti. Former ambassador Tom Foley and state Sen. Toni Boucher are said to exploring bids as well.
As a candidate participating in the state”™s Citizen”™s Election Program, McKinney ”“ and others seeking the nod ”“ must raise $250,000 from at least 2,500 individuals in donations of $100 or less to qualify for state campaign financing.
“As the campaign for governor begins in earnest, we are more than half way toward our fundraising goal and with an aggressive schedule of fundraising events already planned for 2014, we are well on our way to qualifying for the Citizen’s Election Program,” McKinney said.
The fact that McKinney continues to pace all potential candidates for governor in fundraising is made more impressive by the fact that, until this week, he was the only person in the race with an official candidate committee. While McKinney is limited to accepting individual donations of no more than $100, his non-declared opponents, operating under the rules of exploratory committees, are able to accept individual donations of up to $375.
“Day in and day out, we continue to gain momentum toward our ultimate goal of winning the 2014 gubernatorial election and returning control of state government back to the people,” McKinney said. “We are receiving support from Republicans, Democrats and independent voters who are fed up with the state of our economy under Governor Malloy and tired of his excuses. They want real leadership and accountability in their state”™s chief executive and they are supporting our message of change and our effort to turn Connecticut around.”