A Friday deadline looms for the respective campaigns for State Senate and State House to file grant applications to receive public money for the February 24 special elections. The State Elections Enforcement Commission that authorizes grants under the state’s Citizens Election Program will meet a final time next Wednesday February 11 to consider applications for approval.
Ballot lineup for the 23rd State Senate District: Democratic Party Richard DeJesus, Republican Party Quentin Dreher, Working Families Party Ed Gomes and petitioning candidates Charles Hare and Ken Moales. The district covers about two thirds of the city and a portion of western Stratford.
Ballot lineup for 129th State Assembly District: Democratic Party Steve Stafstrom, Republican Party Enrique Torres, petitioning candidates Bob Keeley, Bob Halstead and Hector Diaz. The district covers Black Rock, West Side and portions of North End and West End.
To qualify for public funding candidates must raise corresponding donations between $5 and $100 to receive a public grant of up to roughly $70,000 for State Senate and $21,000 for State House. Candidates not endorsed have the added burden of securing signatures from registered voters in the district to meet a three-tier public financing threshold ranging from one third to 100 percent of the grant.
If grants are approved, campaigns will experience fast blast spending in the closing days. Meanwhile campaigns are allowed to spend what they’ve raised as the matching grant application is being considered.
I’m almost there but need help from any of my supporters. 203 362 7757 halcar5@optonline.net 315 signatures and 113 Bridgeport donors and $3750 in contributions are a lot to get in the span of a couple of weeks, but I like a challenge. A lot of Stafstrom people are refusing to sign my petition, making me rethink my opinions of people. On the other hand, I’m out on the street, not in the senior citizen AB high rises and listening to people and meeting them. There are a lot of unhappy people out there.
DeJesus has not filed yet. Interesting. Maybe the funds have slowed up a bit?