MURPHY AMASSES EARLY CAMPAIGN TROVE FOR 2018 RE-ELECTION BID

Hartford — Connecticut’s next U.S. Senate race isn’t until 2018, but Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy reports having already amassed more than $5 million.

The Democrat announced this week he raised $2 million in the second quarter of 2017 and now has $5.1 million in cash on hand for his anticipated re-election campaign. He said the $2 million is half of what he raised for his entire 2012 Senate campaign.

“I’ve never seen anything like the passion on the ground in Connecticut right now,” Murphy said, noting how 93 percent of his 89,763 contributions were $100 or less.

Federal election records show Murphy has raised more than most other recent Connecticut candidates for U.S. Senate at this point in the campaign, which falls about a year-and-a-half before Election Day. For example, in 2016, Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal had raised $1.2 million in the second quarter and had $2.5 million in cash on hand. His Republican challenger, former state Rep. Dan Carter, had not yet started his campaign committee.

In 2006, former Sen. Joe Lieberman, who became an independent, had raised $1.5 million in the second quarter while having $2.7 million in cash on hand. His Democratic and Republican challengers had not yet begun their campaign committees.

So far, one GOP candidate has come forward to potentially challenge Murphy.

Branford Republican and businessman Dominic Rapini recently announced he is seeking the Republican Party’s nomination.

An Apple employee, Rapini told the Hartford Courant he was inspired by President Donald Trump’s victory, saying it made him feel like a business leader can win an election.

No fundraising records for Rapini appeared on the Federal Election Commission’s website as of Friday.