Bridgeport resident David Walker, Republican candidate for governor, tweets that his campaign is on the way to qualifying for public financing which brings a jackpot of more than $1 million for a presumed 2018 August primary. In a needle from Trumbull First Selectman Tim Herbst who enjoys getting under Walker’s skin, the GOP gubernatorial candidate tweets back “One ‘qualifies’ when the SEEC says they qualify and check every contribution.” We are in the gamesmanship period of the 2018 race for governor where strength is built upon fundraising agility.
Talk to most Republican political operatives and they’ll say on the GOP side the top three candidates in the current field for party support are Herbst, Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton and Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti. Walker has claimed if he qualifies for public financing he’ll be Connecticut’s next governor.
To qualify for public financing, gubernatorial campaigns must raise $250,000 in donations of $100 and less with the lion’s share coming from in-state contributions. The State Elections Enforcement Commission that supervises the Citizens Election Program examines finance reports to determine qualifying grants. It’s a dizzying process.
Herbst, Boughton and Lauretti all appear to be in the $200,000 range raised. Barring a gaffe they are all on track to reach the public grant threshold. Walker says he will get there. See his latest report here.
Walker and Herbst have engaged in a verbal give-and-take the past several months. In July the Herbst campaign filed an SEEC complaint against Walker asserting the former U.S. Comptroller General violated state campaign finance law by making representations of a declared candidacy for governor under the guise of an exploratory committee. The SEEC has rules against this. Walker denied the claim and filed a candidate committee shortly after.
See the latest Walker-Herbst tweet exchange below.
Instead of running for Connecticut Governor David Walker and get defeated again in the primary, 45 should replaced either Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin or Mick Mulvaney, the White House budget director and appoint David Walker.
Wow Ron, so you endorse Walker for an important and influential Federal position, but don’t seem think CT deserves his expertise to make CT a more financial stable and competitive state. Interesting….
Of the two GOP candidates in question Mr. Walker has it over Mr. Herbst whois happiest being a pain in the ass. Lauretti has been investigated for corruption. No indictments, yet. Mark Boughton has a solid if unspectacular record as the longest serving mayor in the history of Danbury. Nice.
David Walker is an old-school northeastern moderate Republican. Given the current state of partisan polarity maybe that’s what Connecticut needs.
Timmy treats the SEEC as his personal Private Eye, filing complaints left and right costing the state money…while complaining about state expenditures. In Trumbull he spent Town money to snoop on the opposition party.
An adult lifetime of feeding at the public trough, it’s time to throw Tim off the public payroll and let him earn a living in the private sector. Ease the Herbst burned on taxpayers.
Mr. Herbst has too many flaws. Paranoia for one, vindictiveness for another. Using public funds to spy on opposition candidates is simply not kosher.
Jennifer, let’s look at Dave Walker’s political career in running for elected office, Walker lives in Bridgeport which is predominantly black and brown and Walker has absolutely no relationship with the black and brown community. Walker is running again like he did the last time (and he lost) in the Republican primary. Statewide there are very few black Republicans except in Waterbury and they will appear after the primary. Connecticut is a predominantly a white state and it’s obvious that Walker is running his campaign exclusively towards whites.
Ron,
Ain’t politics great?