Gary Holder-Winfield took his New Haven mayoral campaign on the road Tuesday — to Albany.
Working with a national group called Democracy Matters, he planned to spend the day “meeting with key state Senators to push for the passage of a public financing system for New York similar to public financing systems established in Connecticut,” according to a campaign press release.
The point: Four of the Democrats running for mayor in New Haven this season have opted out of the city’s voluntary public-financing system, run by the Democracy Fund. Holder-Winfield has championed public financing as a state legislator. And he has opted in to the Democracy Fund for this campaign. He also challenged his opponents to “run clean” by promising to abide by the results of the Sept. 10 Democratic Party mayoral primary, rather than consider running as independent petition candidates in the general election if they lose the primary. No one else has agreed to sign Holder-Winfield’s “pledge” both to participate in the Democracy Fund and to swear off a general-election independent run. (Click here for more on that.)
Candidates participating in the fund agree to limit individual campaign contributions to $370 (rather than $1,000) and to eschew donations from committees in return for matching public money.
Harp Revs Up: Meanwhile, one of the mayoral candidates who chose not to participate in the Democracy Fund — state Sen. Toni Harp — is racing to catch up to Henry Fernandez, another candidate who has eschewed public-financing, in the fund-raising department. Harp joined the race after the six other Democrats. And she has been busy in Hartford during the legislative session, which ended last week.
Harp mailed a June 4 letter to New Haven voters soliciting donations of up to $1,000 for “vital ‘seed money.’” She set a goal of raising $100,000 by July 1.
“With brochures and other literature to purchase, events to organize, yard signs to order, and scores of ads to place, I need your help,” Harp wrote.
Meanwhile, Harp is set to receive the endorsement of a group of Latino elected officials at a 5 p.m. press conference Wednesday, following up on a June 2 endorsement by 18 members of the Board of Aldermen.
Video Pitch: Fernandez’s mayoral campaign released a new video on its “One City” theme. Click on the play arrow to watch it. Fernandez has a fundraiser scheduled at Westville’s Lyric Hall Tuesday night; fellow Democratic candidate Justin Elicker has one planned at the home of attorney (and Ward 19 aldermanic candidate) Michael Stratton, who serves as Elicker’s campaign fundraising chief.
One City Henry has hit it again. Great video and I know just one of many more to come. One City Henry is ramping it up. Kudos to his professional campaign staff and with some great stills of One City Henry mixing it up all over the city! His city. One City Henry's charm is so contagious there should be a vaccine for it.