Candidates Neck & Neck — In Money Race

The Republican is keeping up with the incumbent Democrat in one state legislative race in town, at least when it comes to raising campaign dough — and doing it while limiting the size of individual donations he’ll accept.

The campaign is for the 97th District General Assembly seat, which roughly covers the portion of the city east of the Quinnipiac River up to the North Haven and East Haven town lines.

Democrat State Rep. Robert Megna (pictured) has held that seat since 2000. He unseated the last Republican to hold a state legislative seat in overwhelmingly-Democratic New Haven. Megna is running again in the Nov. 4 general election. Megna’s most recent campaign filing, on Oct. 10, showed him raising $4,325 from 22 individuals, including fellow New Haven legislators State Sen. Martin Looney and State Rep. Toni Walker. Megna — who is also running on the Working Families Party line — reported not having spent any of that money yet. he also lent his campaign $1,000.

Click here to read Megna’s report.

Megna’s Republican challenger, attorney and civic activist John Cirello, reported raising $4,640 as of that date — and having spent all but $852.94 of it.

Cirello (pictured in video announcing his candidacy in May at the Chamber of Commerce) — who is also running on the Independent Party line — is abiding by the rules of the Citizens’ Election Program, the state’s ​“clean-elections” public-financing system. That means he voluntarily limits himself to accepting contributions of no more $100. Cirello collected donations from 122 people, according to the report. Megna was able to collect donations of $250. But Cirello fell short of the number of contributions needed (at least $5,000 from a total of 150 in-district donors) to qualify to receive $27,850 in matching state money under the system.

He said he will continue to abide by the $100 limit anyway.

Click here to read Cirello’s report.

Cirello called it ​“disingenuous” for Megna not to make use of the legislature-approved public-financing system in the campaign. Running under the system enables a candidate to stay more in touch with voters, Cirello argued.

“I’ve been able to get my message out and hear what voters had to say. I think that’s the whole purpose of campaign finance,” he said. ​“They want you not to get big money from a few donors, but to work the whole town and find out what the issues are.”

“The fact that he’s a 14-year incumbent — and only received 10 donations from new Haven residents — speaks volumes about his connection to constituents,” Cirello said.

Megna said he he doesn’t ​“feel a need” to seek matching public money under the Citizen’s Election Fund or raise more money. He may, or may not, do a single mailing, he said.

“I’m saving the taxpayers money,” he said.

The race will likely end up having a lot more to do with turnout than with money — and be greatly influenced by the fate of the Democratic vote-pulling operation on behalf of the candidate at the top of the ticket, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.

Only two other New Haven state representatives have opponents this year — Pat Dillon and Robyn Porter. Neither of their opponents filed Oct. 10 reports, which they don’t have to do if they haven’t raised money.

Previous coverage of this campaign:

• Republican Seeks Megna’s Seat
• Petitions On Tap At Christopher Martin’s

Tony Palluzzi and Jim Olden (in video) performed some Allman Brothers and Jim Croce at a Cirello fundraiser held in July at Christopher Martin’s.