New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
DuBois-Walton edges out Elicker in Q2 fundraising
NEW HAVEN — Democratic mayoral hopeful Karen DuBois-Walton outraised Mayor Justin Elicker $106,390 to $103,978 in individual contributions during the most recent quarterly campaign finance reporting period, according to figures released by the two campaigns.
DuBois-Walton raised her funds in 935 contributions from 764 contributors, plus an additional $30,786 in grants and matching donations from the Democracy Fund of New Haven, a public funding program to encourage smaller, individual contributions and blunt the effects of special interests and political action committees on the election process, according to a release from her campaign.
The campaign expects to
receive another $9,000 in matching donations from the fund, it said in the release.
Elicker raised his funds from 1,159 individual donors. He raised an additional $43,176 in grants and matching funds from the Democracy Fund, with about $18,500 in additional matching funds anticipated for second-quarter donations, according to a release from his campaign.
The reporting period ran from April 1 through June 30, 2021. The filing deadline is July 12, but both campaigns released their totals Tuesday.
According to the Democracy Fund, “qualified campaign expenditures are limited to no more than $368,000 in a primary election.” The Elicker campaign is on track to raise the full amount, which would be a first in the fund’s history, according to the campaign.
DuBois-Walton also raised $107,462 through an exploratory committee earlier in the year, but a June 16 filing shows it returned $69,029 in pro-rated donations to contributors out of a $74,726 surplus after being told it could not carry the funds over into her new campaign committee.
DuBois-Walton called what it raised during the last quarter “record-setting donations ... reflecting a wide and robust base of support throughout the community.”
“The significance of these numbers goes far beyond just dollars, and demonstrates a widespread desire for new leadership in New Haven,” DuBois-Walton said. “I am incredibly grateful to all my supporters for their confidence in my campaign and my vision for a more inclusive and equitable approach by our city’s leaders.
“We have an opportunity here that can’t be missed, to make New Haven work better and work for more of us,” she said in the release. “Clearly that feeling extends citywide.
“Our supporters come from virtually every neighborhood and income level,” DuBois-Walton said. “And though they represent a wide spectrum of our city residents and neighbors, they all share the belief that New Haven needs to seize on this moment to create a new era of opportunity for all.”
The average donation from her 764 contributors was $114, and 41 percent were $30 or less, the release states. More than 80 percent live in Connecticut, with just under half being New Haven residents.
Of the Elicker campaign’s 1,159 individual donors, 773 are from New Haven, the campaign said. Donations “come from every neighborhood in New Haven,” according to the campaign’s release.
“The momentum seen in the campaign’s first quarter has clearly not slowed down” the release stated. “New Haven residents have continued to overwhelmingly show their support for a second Elicker term.”
DuBois-Walton, who until recently as president of the Housing Authority of New Haven, has spent 20 years in public service, both as chief administrative officer and chief of staff for former Mayor John DeStefano Jr. and as head of the Housing Authority.