Democratic Mayoral Candidate Veronica T. DeLandro has announced that she has received $65,000 in individual campaign contributions.
DeLandro said that her campaign is in the lead in individual contributions, adding that the $65,000 in contributions are from over 700 individual donors between January and June 30th. She says that the average contribution to her campaign was $90.
“The individual donations are a clear sign from New Britain residents that I am the best qualified and capable candidate to move New Britain forward”, DeLandro said in a press conference on Tuesday.
“We are excited to continue leading in individual contributions with a sizable amount of donations that have already come in July,” said DeLandro. “We do not take this lightly and understand that every dollar donated is a vote of confidence that someone has cast for us.”
DeLandro has been focusing her campaign on visiting New Britain residents door-to-door, saying, “Canvassing is more than just door-knocking. It’s about engaging and listening to people from all walks of life. I’m running for Mayor to make sure their voices, cares and concerns will be heard.”
For months, DeLandro 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.
As part of her campaign, DeLandro has been organizing a “Vaccine Hesitancy Campaign” and has continued that program of informational canvasing to encouraging people to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
DeLandro has been campaigning on her “Core 4 Issues” of education, economic opportunity, health and wellness and affordable housing and homeownership. Her priorities include investing in early childhood education, diversifying the educator workforce, supporting neighborhood business development, workforce development and promoting access to affordable health care.
Three Democrats are running for the Democratic Party’s nomination for Mayor — political activist and Democratic candidate Alicia Hernandez Strong, Rep. Bobby Sanchez (D-25) and DeLandro.
The Democratic Party’s governing Town Committee is less than one week from choosing its endorsed candidate for Mayor, City Council, Board of Education and other city offices. The Democratic Town Committee is set to meet on Monday, July 26th at 7:00pm.
Strong is planning to rally supporters at that meeting, joined by Democratic City Council candidates Richard Lacourciere and Nate Simpson, saying, “my campaign has received enthusiastic support from progressives all over the city, and I am excited that our movement has come so far.
Strong has said that she is, “running on a working class platform.” A founder and former President of the New Britain Racial Justice Coalition, Strong is calling on residents to, “get involved in the movement to transform New Britain,” and has active grassroots volunteer support for her campaign.
Strong is campaigning on issues including economic development, affordable housing, greater support for education and addressing racial and economic disparities in public health. She recently announced her priorities for youth development, saying, “New Britain’s youth are our future — yet the current administration has not only let them down, but also actively criminalizes them and jeopardizes every chance they have at success.”
Meanwhile, last week, Rep, Sanchez announced that he has raised nearly $70,000 in donations toward his campaign for Mayor.
“We are focused on growing a coalition of support from every corner of this city,” Rep. Sanchez said, “with a clear message that no one neighborhood should be prioritized over another, and no one child should be given different opportunities simply because of where they grow up.”
Rep. Sanchez called the fundraising total, “truly humbling,” noting that it meant, “more than doubling my effort from last quarter.”
Rep. Sanchez said that, “It is time that we have leadership in the Mayor’s seat that is ready to take the responsibility of running this city and answering the call of today’s most pressing issues.”
“Our school performance is unacceptable,” Rep. Sanchez said, “our taxes are unacceptable, and our economic development pales in comparison to other cities in our state. As Mayor, I will not find someone to blame for these challenges, but do what I have always done in my ten years of serving as a State Representative for this great city, roll up my sleeves and get to work.”
Nominations by the Democratic Party are a potentially two step process. The Democratic Town Committee makes endorsements of candidates for city offices on Monday. 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.
While the same process applies to the Republican Party, most observers believe that Republican Mayor Erin Stewart will become the Republican nominee without a primary of Republican voters.
It remains to be seen if the eventual Democratic nominee for Mayor 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.
