Bridgeport resident David Walker, the former U.S. comptroller general, collected $72,156 in his first quarter fundraisng effort in his 2018 exploratory campaign for governor, according to his on-line filing with the State Elections Enforcement Commission. Today, July 10, is the deadline for candidates to file mandatory reports for the period ending June 30. Walker’s goal, like his competitors, is raising $250,000 in donations of $100 and less to qualify for public financing under the state’s Citizens Election Program. See Walker fundraising report here. On Monday, Walker announced the formation of a candidate committee for governor. See here.
Walker has catching up to do with some Republican candidates who have a head start on fundraising, but last week he said he was pleased with his fundraising effort considering he did not host his first event until June. One of Walker’s $100 contributors is former Congressman Christopher Shays whose Black Rock waterfront house Walker purchased in 2009 for $1,550,000 after Shays was defeated by Democrat Jim Himes in 2008.
Lamenting the tax and spend direction of the state, Walker placed a for sale sign on the Beacon Street house in October 2014, about two months after he lost a close primary for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor. The initial list price was $1,675,000. Walker took the house off the market last year. Walker recently told OIB if he qualifies for public financing “I will be the next governor of Connecticut.”
Last week Bridgeport attorney Chris Mattei announced he raised $118,344 from more than 1,000 individual donations in 10 weeks since he formed an exploratory committee for governor. It’s a significant haul for a relatively unknown candidate who was a public corruption fighter in the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Mattei is rejecting money from lobbyists. See Mattei report here.
Raising the threshold dollars to receive a public campaign grant is a slog. The early money is the easiest to bring in. Some of the more established candidates for governor, as a show of strength, hope to lock in the fundraising effort by the end of the year and devote full time to campaigning. The SEEC will parcel out millions of dollars in qualifying grants after the party conventions in May 2018 prior to expected August primaries.
State Comptroller Kevin Lembo, a Democrat, reports he raised $143,000 for the quarter; former Consuumer Protection Commission Jonathan Harris, a Democrat, reports $88,000 raised; former Republican congressional candidate Steve Obsitnik reports raising $201,000 over the last two filing periods combined; and Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti, a Republican, shows a mighty $145,000 raised.
I’m sure that David Walker will have no problem raising the money.
Ron, And what the fluck does that signify
!
Try this one, David Walker will not be able to raise the money.
Walker underperforms.
Looks like he needs a Turnaround Specialist on his Finance Team.
David Walker is one those who has all of the answers so he’s not going to listen.
Three quotes from Ron Mackey???
1)I’m sure that David Walker will have no problem raising the money.
2)Try this one, David Walker will not be able to raise the money.
3)David Walker is one those who has all of the answers so he’s not going to listen.
Sarcastic? Then a negative prophecy? Does Walker have so many answers that it prevents Mackey from showcasing his own zero-sum ideas? Or has he become an audiologist who has tested Walker’s hearing powers? To my way of thinking, the State and the City are facing difficult times. (According to the CAFR 2016, the State of CT provided $374, 038, 743 to the City of Bridgeport in that year ending June 30, 2016.) Who can provide the exact amount for year ending June 30 2017 just closed?
Walker, out of the entire field, has more fiscal expertise than any other candidate out there from either party, and that should be a significant aid in the times ahead. Let the listening begin. Time will tell.
Mr. Walker should run his campaign the same way Trump did.
Talk about the professional politicians being in the bag for lobbyist and other special interests.
If he wants to run like Chris shays/John McCain get along Republicans he will loose badly.
At least Dave Walker can say he’s raised more than Joe Ganim.
David Walker is running a suburbanite campaign, Walker doesn’t care about the voters in the state big urban like the
David Walker is running a suburbanite campaign, Walker doesn’t care about the voters in the state’s big urban Cities like the city he residents in, Bridgeport. This is same type of campaign Walker ran when he ran for Lieutenant Governor. This is the typical Republican type of campaign, forget about the cities where people of color are and concentrate the campaign on those small white towns.
Jennifer Buchanan, good morning, as the news of Russia and the White House and Fredo Trump Jr. grows it looks like Vice President Mike Pence is in CYA mode. The Republican Party on every level, national, state and local are looking really bad by not stepping up and speaking out about the lies and fake news coming out of the White House. Even Republican Joe Scarborough is smelling the coffee and is getting out of the Republican Party and at some point and time will run for governor in Connecticut. Pence is now hiding and David Walker is scare to speak out, Democrats might not be the answer but these Republicans are worse as they let America look like fools kissing the ass of Russia to the world. It was Republican Presidential candidate in 2012, Mitt Rommney, who said about Russia was America, “number one geopolitical foe” The Republican Party’s silence is deafening.
MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough Is Leaving The Republican Party
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/07/11/morning-joe-co-host-joe-scarborough-is-leaving-the-republican-party/
Good morning Ron, so this – http://www.dailywire.com/news/11530/3-times-democrats-were-fine-russians-intervening-ben-shapiro
I would argue, the US has interfered in many elections and overthrowing governments in other countries, we do it in the name of democracy and human rights, when history shows it’s always about the dough ray me. We certainly don’t like it when it happens to us do we?
Morning Joe is simply doing what I did, when I registered to vote in Indiana my party affiliation is now Independent.
The democrats ridiculed Romney for his Russian statements during the presidential election, so is your point now he was, in retrospect correct?
So much fake news everywhere, one must review sources and separate opinion from facts.
One exception to Morning Joe, Indiana has open primary’s , I, and all Hoosiers can vote in any primary regardless of party affiliation.
Hey Jennifer how are you? Are you implying that because America interfered in elections in other countries that turnabout is fair play or that Americans shouldn’t be outraged and appalled that Russia did it to us?
Hey Donald- not a fan or supporter of you did it first – or worst – and it’s OK for me to retaliate. My feelings are, Americans are obliged to keep their elected officials Honest and accountable to their duties and campaign promises. The majority do not. Also obligated to know the facts when communicating and holding anyone accountable. I’m not clear on what the Russians actually did to us regarding the elections other than Home Land Security saying they attempted to hack into voter databases. Trump Jr, and his intel gathering mission – very naive- and borderline… oh pick any negative word. For goodness sake, WikiLeaks had copious information on Clinton from many sources on Twitter.
Jennifer, you are just spinning me, you didn’t address my concerns but I will address your post. Yes, America interfered with elections and the overthrowing of other countries in the name of democracy. The hypocrisy of America with all political parties in preaching to certain countries in the world about their form of government and telling them that they needed to turn to democracy. Well that’s why people like Fredrick Douglas, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King jr. spoke out loudly against America because of America’s hypocrisy in the way that blacks were being treated in America. Blacks didn’t have same rights that white have. The whole world got to see on TV how police dogs and fire hose with high pressure water being used to stop blacks from trying to register to vote.
Spinning or rebutting? Yes, we’re a violent and arrogant nation at times. Down to the basics, if you don’t pay your taxes, at some point a man with a gun will knock on your door and drag you off to jail, in handcuffs at gun point. I remember watching those riots on the news when I was very young thinking, what county is this? It was beyond surreal on that farm in Indiana.
So yes, any county interfering with our elections sux, we have enough trouble locally trying to defeat our own citizen run political machines.
The Republican Party on every level, national, state and local are looking really bad by not stepping up and speaking out about the lies and fake news coming out of the White House. Vice President Mike Pence is in CYA mode, Pence is now hiding and David Walker is scare to speak out just like most Republicans. Democrats might not be the answer but these Republicans are worse When did the Republican Party start kissing up to Russia? It was always the Republican Party who strongly rejected the USSR and after their breakup they still rejected Russia and their policies, now Republicans have no problem with Russia interfering with the most basic right of every American, their right to vote for who they like and Russia has interfere with our right.
Dave: Comments lie those about suburban citizens are the perception, which will become the reality. Please, I beg you, put out your desire for state wide binding referendums giving every voter skin in the game, city or suburb.