City Councilman Scott Burns announced on Monday he has filed his grant application with the State Elections Enforcement Commission seeking public dollars in the four-way August 13 Democratic primary to replace a retiring Marilyn Moore.
SEEC is meeting Wednesday and Thursday this week to vote on pending applications. Former Mayor Bill Finch, law school professor Sujata Gadkar-Wilxoc and ex councilman Tyler Mack are also in the race.
Under Connecticut’s Citizens Election Program campaigns must raise more than $17,000 in small donations with about 300 contributions comings from the respective towns in the district. If successful campaigns are flushed with about $110,000 for a primary and $125,000 for the general election.
The 22nd Senatorial covers all of Trumbull and portions of Bridgeport and Monroe.
Burns represents Black Rock and a portion of the West End on the City Council.
News release from Burns:
Today, Bridgeport Councilman Scott Burns announced that his campaign for State Senate in Connecticut’s 22nd Senate District has achieved the benchmarks necessary to qualify for the Citizens’ Election Program (CEP), and has traveled to Hartford to file the grant application.
“I’m excited and proud to have reached this threshold. We have had donors from across the district, from seniors to students, folks from both large and small business, faith community leaders, city employees who know my work well, and virtually every constituency in the city,” said Burns. “I’m pleased to say that Democrats, Republicans, and unaffiliated voters have helped us to this achievement. And I am grateful to my friends and family, whether close by or far and wide, who stepped up to support my candidacy. The breadth of their support speaks to the kind of person that people want to see in office.”
The Burns campaign touted its buffer donations above the required CEP benchmarks that will assure the grant funds will come their way for the primary ahead of some or all of their opponents.
Burns Campaign Consultant, Cole Haymond, added, “We’re confident that we have buffers in terms of both donors and dollars to meet the requirements of the public financing program. We made it a point to truly hit our numbers before we announced this strong grassroots feat. The name of the game is with the ‘in-district contributions’ – those from Bridgeport, Monroe, or Trumbull. The SEEC has scrutinized these grant applications, and just last week rejected 14 of 20 submissions – including some from incumbents. This is good for integrity and democracy, but has put campaigns on notice that they must be careful and thorough in their work – and we feel we have been just that. It’s a credit to our team that we feel our submission is solid and complete.”
Good comments from Campaign Consultant Haymond after acknowledging that SEEC “rejected” two/thirds of submissions, “including from some incumbents”. Care with paperwork, and thoroughness in meeting the requirements for a “solid and complete” submission that supports “integrity and democracy”.
SEEC’s position and process at this moment before fund distribution, is very similar to the role that Burns played for Bridgeport taxpayers for recent years on the Budget and Appropriations Committee. He ever sought more information on a subject at hand, and pursued follow-up on questions that arose from the new facts considered.
Were he to succeed to the newly sought position as State Representative, our City Council will be lesser for his exite. Newer and younger replacements who are willing to pursue questions of fairness and justice will need to appear and be heard. Time will tell.