ANSONIA/DERBY – With Election Day a week away, state Rep. Kara Rochelle’s campaign is spending money on Facebook ads while Ansonia Mayor David Cassetti is spending money on lawn signs, according to the latest available campaign finance disclosures.
Election Day is Nov. 5.
Rochelle, the incumbent Democrat, is being challenged by Republican nominee Cassetti, and Thomas Egan, the Independent Party’s endorsed candidate.
The three are running to see who represents Ansonia and much of west Derby in District 104 of the state House of Representatives.
Cassetti and Rochelle filed updated campaign finance disclosures on Oct. 22. Egan didn’t file because he previously indicated that he doesn’t intend to spend more than $1,000 on his campaign. That exempts him from campaign finance disclosure requirements.
The Cassetti and Rochelle campaigns are being funded by a $36,500 grant from the state. Click here for a story with an explanation of that grant.
In total, Rochelle’s campaign has spent $31,761.66, while Cassetti’s has spent $26,760.94.
Rochelle’s campaign had spent $23,072.19 between Oct. 1 and Oct. 22. Cassetti’s campaign had spent $16,105.09 over the same date range.
Cassetti’s campaign additionally reported $4,254.85 in costs that had not been paid yet.
That makes up a majority of the total spending for each campaign.
Advertising makes up the majority of campaign expenses for each candidate, according to the filings. The breakdown of those advertising costs, though, differs between candidates.
Cassetti’s campaign paid $11,665.52 to Arrow Printers for lawn signs; Rochelle’s campaign did not report any spending on lawn signs during this time period. Rochelle’s campaign spent $1,100 on Facebook ads, while Cassetti’s did not report any spending on Facebook ads.
Both campaigns are spending heavily on mailers. Rochelle’s campaign spent $16,320.12 on mailers, while Cassetti’s spent $6,274.37 (although $1,834.80 remained unpaid as of Oct. 22).
Rochelle’s campaign reported spending an additional $2,658.75 on walkcards.
Cassetti’s campaign disclosure also included $2,420.05 that had not yet been paid for rent and utilities at its campaign headquarters. Rochelle’s campaign reported a $101.25 utility bill for its headquarters, but did not report any spending on rent.
Rochelle’s campaign also paid $2,500 to Shelton resident Matt McGee as campaign manager.
Click here to read Cassetti’s most recent campaign finance disclosure.
Click here to read Rochelle’s most recent campaign finance disclosure.
A list of expenditures from those filings is copied below.
Cassetti
$11665.52, Arrow Printers, “Lawn signs, small and large”
$4439.57, Spectrum Marketing, “Mailer #2, prep, print and mail/postage, 5839 pcs x .76020 each”
$2000 (not paid), Boyar Family LLC, “Final lease payment for HQ, Ansonia”
$420.05 (not paid), Boyar Family LLC, “Utility expense portion, billed from Lessee”
$1,834.80 (not paid), Spectrum Marketing, “Derby Mailer, prep, print, mail/postage 1112 pcs x 1.65”
Rochelle
$101.25, United Illuminating, “Electric bill for campaign office”
$250, Blue Edge Strategies, “Facebook ads”
$350, Blue Edge Strategies, “Facebook ads”
$2658.75, Blue Edge Strategies, “Walkcards”
$5894.31, Blue Edge Strategies, “Mailer #1”
$250, Blue Edge Strategies, “Facebook ads”
$250, Blue Edge Strategies, “Facebook ads”
$2500, Matt McGee, “Campaign manager”
$336, USPS, “Postcard stamps”
$5182.63, Blue Edge Strategies, “Mailer #2”
$5243.18, Blue Edge Strategies, “Mailer #3”
$56, USPS, “Stamps”
