Goldenberg (right) at Tuesday presser: I'm the underdog (top left).
Democratic mayoral candidate Tom Goldenberg has chosen not to participate in New Haven’s “clean money” public-financing program — because, he said, he’s an “underdog.”
His opponent, incumbent Democratic Mayor Justin Elicker, countered that the point of the program is to help “underdogs” compete. Then he questioned whether Goldenberg can accurately portray himself with that title.
The exchange came as the two declared candidates submitted their first campaign reports of the 2023 campaign.
Elicker’s campaign said it has raised over $60,000 to date from 400 contributors, including $56,174 from 359 contributors by the Dec. 31 reporting deadline.
Goldenberg reported raising over $18,000 to date from over 100 donors.
Two other candidates are expected to announce campaigns for the Democratic mayoral nomination: community organizer and retired police Sgt. Shafiq Abdussabur and former federal prosecutor and current Hartford inspector general Liam Brennan. Brennan filed papers on Jan. 6 to form an exploratory campaign committee, with Fred DePourcq of Westville listed as treasurer.
Elicker has agreed to abide by individual campaign contribution limits of $440 (rather than $1,000) in order to participate in the Democracy Fund, New Haven’s public-financing program. The program aims to limit the influence of special interests and enable more candidates to compete in elections; participants agree to cap individual donations at $440 (rather than $1,000) and swear off special-interest donations from political committees in return for public grants. Elicker has participated in the voluntary program in each of his mayoral campaigns.
Goldenberg, who worked most recently as a McKinsey & Company consultant, announced at a City Hall Tuesday press conference that he has chosen not to participate in the program. He said he has personally given his campaign $25,000, and is allowing donors to contribute the $1,000 limit.
The following donors maxed out in giving Goldenberg $1,000 donations, according to his campaign finance filing Tuesday with the state: retiree MaryKay Goldenberg of West Haven; McKinsey consultant Navjot Singh of Weston, Mass.; McKinsey consultant Roger Roberts of Palo Alto, California; retired administrator Dawn Clark of Chittenango, N.Y.; and retired engineer Joseph Holzer of Chittenango. The document lists 20 individual donations; 17 of the 20 came from outside New Haven. (The campaign treasurer, David Levy, does live in New Haven, in Westville.) A review of Elicker donations found 89 $390 donors (the maximum the campaign asked for, pending final approval of the Fund’s raising of the limit to $440), 51 of them from New Haven. The list does not include many city employees, unlike in the last election; top donors include state development commissioner and local zoning board member Alexandra Daum and Floyd Dugas, an attorney who works on city contracts. Elicker said that 70 percent of his contributions came from New Haven.
Goldenberg said he supports “the purpose” of the Democracy Fund, so he has agreed not to accept donations from “businesses, organizations or PACs” (political action committees). The Fund prohibits accepting those donations.
Goldenberg was asked why he chose not to abide by the other limits.
“We are an underdog campaign. I will not disadvantage our campaign at this time,” he responded.
“I am up against an incumbent who’s not afraid to use political influence,” Goldenberg asserted. Asked for an example, he cited the decision by Democratic Town Chair Vincent Mauro Jr. to endorse Elicker’s campaign.
Elicker called it “disappointing” that Goldenberg won’t participate in the public-financing program, the creation of which he said that New Haveners “overwhelming supported” “to make sure New Haven’s not for sale. It has made me a better candidate over the four times I’ve participated and shown the value of engaging new donors.”
The two-term mayor called it “disingenuous” to suggest the fund helps incumbents over challengers: “The whole point of the Democracy Fund is to have a more egalitarian system for campaign … It is work, but someone that has a network of New Haven residents that can donate small-donor amounts can be competitive in these races.”
“Someone that donates $25,000 to his own campaign,” he argued, “is not the underdog.” Elicker said he’s “proud to receive the endorsement of Vinnie Mauro. He’s been involved with the city for decades.”
“I will not disadvantage our campaign at this time,” Goldenberg said at his press conference. “We may choose to go with [the Democracy Fund] later in time.”
Fund Executive Director Aly Heimer said that to do so, Goldenberg would need to return individual contribution amounts over $440 and give back $2,000 of his personal contribution. (The Fund’s rules allow candidates to provide up to $23,000 in personal money to their campaigns.)
“If he chooses to participate then and it is a 60-day cutoff deadline [before the primary election], he would be a welcome participant,” Heimer said.
Click on the video to watch Goldenberg’s press conference, at which he also listed policy goals and answered reporter questions.
There is a verse in the Bible that says, A DOUBLE MINDED MAN IS UNSTABLE IN ALL HIS WAYS.
TOM GOLDENBURG claims he is an underdog, yet contributes $25,000 to his own campaign.
Last week he announced that the media would be barred from a campaign event to start his campaign.
He holds a press conference announcing his rejection of the DEMOCRACY FUND which he says will be a disadvantage to his campaign, only to state that he WOULD consider participating in the program later on.
No candidate can be taken seriously who feels strongly both ways on a single issue.
Either Mr. Goldenberg is the recipient of poor campaign advice, or he has poor judgment.
If a candidate cannot run an efficient, coherent political campaign, how can he effectively run City Hall?