Exploring Run for Mayor, DeLandro Announces $45,000 in Fundraising

Democrat Veronica T. DeLandro has announced that she has raised $45,000 in contributions as she weighs a campaign for Mayor of New Britain.

“It is clear based on the feedback we have received while canvassing neighborhoods and during our virtual listening sessions that people are ready to see change in New Britain,” DeLandro said.

DeLandro’s campaign says that, “she has raised nearly $45,000 from over 500 donors during the first fundraising quarter, which ended March 31.”

“To ensure the viability of our people-centered campaign,” DeLandro said, “my exploratory team knew a strong momentum would be important for garnering not just voter support, but also financial support around my candidacy.”

“I’m grateful for their hard work,” DeLandro added, “and also to every person who made a contribution and whose generosity allows us to focus on the issues that impact New Britain residents every single day.”

The announcement comes on the day of the deadline, April 12th, when all campaign committees must report their contributions and expenditures for January, February and March. Many observers look to the April fundraising report to see if candidates are showing momentum into the spring and summer campaign and nominations season.

The $45,000 in fundraising DeLandro has announced is a large total for a potential challenger for Mayor to report in April.

DeLandro has been exploring a potential candidacy for Mayor of New Britain since she announced in January that was forming an an exploratory committee. She has been been doing a “listening tour” of different constituencies in the city, including businesses, CCSU students, faith-based leaders, community based organizations and parents.

DeLandro organized a program in March — a “Vaccine Hesitancy Campaign” — in which her campaign said that she and volunteers would, “visit various neighborhoods throughout the city and talk to residents about the importance of getting the Covid-19 vaccine, while providing them with specific information on where they can schedule an appointment and noting who is eligible.” In April, DeLandro announced that she was continuing that informational canvasing.

“I look forward to continuing our open dialogue and raising awareness around issues in our city,” DeLandro said.

Democratic Rep. Bobby Sanchez (D-25) has also raised a substantial amount toward his campaign for Mayor. As part of his announcement that he is officially running for Mayor, Rep. Sanchez said that his campaign had raised $30,000, as he explored candidacy during January, February and March.

Meanwhile, Republican Mayor Erin Stewart, who, with the power of incumbency and a strong political machine, was expected to have large campaign fundraising behind her, announced that her campaign has raised $70,000. DeLandro’s announcement means that the Democrats building campaigns against Stewart may have surprisingly raised more, combined, than the Republican incumbent, who is the only Republican candidate, likely reinforcing the Democrats’ growing sense of momentum in this year’s elections.

There are a total of three Democrats waging or weighing challenges against Stewart. Democrat Alicia Hernandez Strong was the first Democrat to official announce candidacy for Mayor, saying that she is, “running on a working class platform.”

Nominations by the Democratic Party are a potentially two step process. The Democratic Party’s governing Town Committee makes endorsements of candidates for city offices in July. If there is no primary, the Town Committee’s choice becomes the nominee of the Democratic Party. But, candidates not endorsed by the Town Committee can send the decision on the nomination to a Democratic primary by collecting petition signatures.

Any primary in 2021 would be held on September 14th.

It remains to be seen if the eventual Democratic nominee will prevail against Stewart in the November 2, 2021 city elections. Stewart has repeatedly eluded political consequences to her own re-elections of unpopular policies and politics of her administration, including low funding for the city’s schools, higher property taxes, increased City Hall spending, floating city annual budgets with long-term taxpayer debt, the failed attempt to allow mining on public watershed land and what many view as the generally uncouth brand of the politics of her political machine.