Sam Gurwitt file photos; Facebook
Lauren Garrett, Brad Macdowall, and Peter Cyr: Progressive Dems competing against each other for the nomination.
Political newcomer Peter Cyr has led the race for dollars in what is becoming a crowded race for mayor in Hamden, according to newly released campaign finance reports.
Four Hamden mayoral hopefuls filed campaign fundraising reports on July 10th. Lauren Garrett, Brad Macdowall, and Peter Cyr are currently competing within the Democratic Party. Ron Gambardella is the only Republican to file papers to run so far. Incumbent Mayor Curt Leng has suggested that he is “leaning toward” running for reelection.
Read more about the candidates here and here.
Cyr reported the largest haul in the most recent financial reporting period, covering April 10 through June 30. Reports were due to be publicly filed this past Saturday.
In three months, Cyr received $8,948 from individual donors as well as an additional $50 through separate monetary receipts, for a total of $8,998.
Cyr’s report also states that he received $258.36 in in-kind donations. Given that he did not reportedly raise any funds in the previous filing period and has spent $653.32 so far on campaign expenses, Cyr currently has $8,344.68 on hand..
Fellow Democratic mayoral hopeful Lauren Garrett raised a similar amount to Cyr’s, with $8,800 in new donations since April. She was the only candidate who earned campaign donations during the first-quarter filing period; she had a balance of $882 before the July filing deadline.
After having spent $959.01 on campaign expenses, she holds the most fundraised money of any of the candidates, with a total of $8,715.99 on hand.
Garrett and Cyr each raised about four times more than their third opponent for the Democratic nomination, Brad Macdowall, who received $2,138 in donations this period. Macdowall also expended more fundraiser dollars than any other candidate, putting $1,215.37, more than half of his funds, towards his campaign. He is now left with a balance of $992.63.
Nora Grace-Flood photo
Republican mayoral candidate Ron Gambardella at a GOP fundraiser this July: $1.70 spent, $58.30 on hand.
Republican Ron Gambardella, like Cyr and Macdowall, began this first filing period with no funds. He announced his candidacy in late June.
Since April, he has received $60, according to his report. He spent $1.70 and has a total of $58.30 available. That $60 was made up of a $35 contribution from one individual as well as $25 from a “small contributor.”
While Cyr raised about $200 more than Garrett, Garrett earned donations from a slightly larger pool of individuals.
A total of 54 individuals gave to Garrett’s campaign. Her two largest donations were each $1,000 — from Helen and Daniel Garrett, respectively. She also received two donations of $500 from Manuel Teixeira, an accountant, and Charles Reed, a personal injury lawyer. Both Reed and Teixeira live in Hamden.
Cyr received donations from 51 different individuals. Three of those supporters gave the maximum contribution of $1,000: Joseph Ziehl, who is retired, Jonathan Zlotnik, a Massachusetts legislator, and Kahley Rowell, a waitress in New York. Sarah Cyr, Gilman Cyr, Todd Mulzet, Michelle McLaughlin, and Stephen Updegrove all contributed $500. Sarah Cyr is listed as a program specialist at Benhaven and Mulzet as a diving coach in California. The other three are all retired.
Meanwhile, 18 individuals donated to Macdowall’s campaign. He received one $1,000 donation from Alexander Taubes, a civil rights attorney who lives in New Haven. All other donations were under $500.
Whichever candidates move forward in the election process will next be required to file fundraising reports seven days before their party primaries.
This information is very much appreciated. I hope that, as it becomes available, Ms. Grace-Flood will continue to provide Hamden's voters with more of this type of useful information - in addition to the excellent articles that have been published under her by-line. Ann M. Altman