Three weeks before election, Democratic challenger for mayor Chris Jones has raised more — and spent more — money on his campaign than incumbent Mayor Mark Lauretti and third-party candidate Mark Widomski combined.
But Lauretti, who is running for his 10th year term in office, said he is just getting warmed up.
“It doesn’t matter,” Lauretti said of the early numbers, which were revealed in required financial reports filed in the city clerk’s office Tuesday.
The October filing details how much money campaigns have raised and spent from July 1 to Sept. 30.
“I go through this every two years with these guys. They think it’s important,” Lauretti said. “I typically don’t do fundraisers until the end, so it might look like it’s skewed a little bit.”
As of Tuesday the numbers were:
- Jones: Raised $20,916 and spent $8,185. (Of that, $14,853 was raised during the filing period from July 1 to Sept. 30.)
- Lauretti: Raised $10,450 and spent $3,250.
- Widomski: Raised $1,315 and spent $87.
- Alderman John “Jack” Finn, the lone Democrat on the board, running for reelection, also has his own campaign committee to raise funds for his race. Finn has raised $2,859 – of which $390 during the latest filing period. Finn’s campaign committee — “Friends of John Jack Finn” — spent $963.
Finn said he has always had his own committee, but he works with the Democratic Town Committee and Chris Jones’ committee on fundraising and campaigning.
Biggest Donations
Jones’ biggest individual donor so far is Denese Deeds, his treasurer, who gave an aggregate of $750.
During the latest filing period, Jones received $250 from the Central CT Carpenters Local Union 24, $1,500 from the Carpenters Local 210 OPC and $500 from the Local 371 UFCW PAC during this filing period.
Lauretti’s biggest single donation was $1,000 from William J. Carrol, a Trumbull resident who listed himself as retired.
Widomski’s biggest contribution was $500 from Shelton resident Ingrid Waters.
More Fundraising To Come
Lauretti, Jones and Widomski said they have more fundraisers coming up in the next few of weeks.
Widomski said his first — and likely only — fundraiser would be at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Draft House on Bridgeport Avenue.
Despite having raised the least, Widomski was optimistic.
“To me, financial reports and fundraising are integral parts of elections, yes. It’s obvious the more money you raise the more you can get the word out,” Widomski said. “But it really comes down to what the voters want.”
Jones called his fundraising a “grassroots effort” because he’s received many small donations from people.
“(Lauretti’s) got bigger contributions from people who do business with the city,” Jones said. “Where as mine, I’ve got a couple union donations, but the majority have been a grassroots campaign of $25 and $50 donations.”
Jones said he has been having fundraisers that “can accommodate people in this recession,” such as a manicure and martini night at a local salon, or a happy hour at Porky’s restaurant.
