New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Elicker raises $120K for mayoral race; potential rival DuBois-Walton draws $70K
NEW HAVEN — The campaign finance figures for the 2021 mayor race are rolling in.
Mayor Justin Elicker’s campaign raised more than $120,000 from 600 separate donors in the first quarter of 2021, which, when coupled with matching funds received through the city’s “clean elections” public financing program, would give him a total of more than $160,000, he said Tuesday.
Meanwhile, potential Democratic primary challenger Karen DuBois-Walton raised nearly $70,000 from more than 400 donors in the first 23 days since announcing that she had formed an explorato
ry committee for a possible run against her fellow Democrat.
Both sides immediately sought to show, in dueling statements, that their fundraising indicates overwhelming interest from supporters.
The first-quarter filing period ended March 31. Campaign finance reports are due to the State Elections Enforcement Commission by Saturday.
“Our team is still putting the finishing touches on our first campaign finance report, but I just received the prelimina ry numbers from them, and I wanted to share them with you right away,” Elicker said in an email to supporters.
Elicker, who defeated incumbent former Mayor Toni Harp in both a Democratic primary and the general election in 2019, announced his bid for reelection Jan. 21.
DuBois-Walton, president and CEO of the New Haven Housing Authority - Elm City Communities, announced the formation of an exploratory committee for a possible run for mayor March 8.
Her campaign said Tuesday in a statement that she had raised $69,652, saying that the figures “break a ten-year record” — even if they fell well short of what the Elicker campaign raised. The amount represented “a fundraising milestone not achieved since 2011,” the statement said.
“These figures, in just three weeks, are nearly double what the 2019 mayoral candidates raised in the first month of their campaigns,” it said.
“DuBois-Walton, who launched her exploratory committee for a 2021 run for the New Haven Mayoral seat on International Women’s Day, has been strategically working behind the scenes meeting with small groups of constituents to listen to community concerns and engage residents on a personal level,” the statement said.
“The speed with which the DuBois-Walton exploratory committee has reached this fundraising milestone is evidence that New Haven is primed for a debate on new leadership,” it said.
“We’re so honored and proud to receive this kind of widespread support while still exploring a run,” DuBois-Walton said. “This level of excitement and engagement shows just how ready New Haven is for new leadership.
“As I continue to explore a run for mayor, we’ll continue to work to ensure that folks all across this city get a chance to express what they’re looking for from their city’s government and commit to identify new ways to ensure our city’s leadership works for and with the community it serves,” she said in the statement.
The contributions, which exploratory committee Treasurer Donald McAulay said “ratify the desire for the conversation about new leadership,” came from all 30 city wards, with 17 percent of them being less than $50, 36 percent coming from New Haven proper and 83 percent coming from Connecticut.
DuBois-Walton’s largest donation was $375 and the average donation was $171.98, the campaign said.
Elicker said in an interview Tuesday that 70 percent of his donations came from New Haven residents.
“It’s clear that so many New Haven residents donating to our campaign is a strong indicator that people are excited in the direction that the city is headed” and its response to the COVID 19 epidemic “and everything that has happened in the last year,” Elicker said.
He said in the email, “I want to say thank you. You stepped up when we needed you most and helped put this campaign in a very strong position out of the gate.
“... This is going to be a long campaign and we’ve got a lot of work to do in the coming weeks and months, but you stepped up and built a strong foundation,” Elicker said.