Free Daily Headlines :

  • COVID-19
  • Vaccine Info
  • Money
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Health
  • Justice
  • More
    • Environment
    • Economic Development
    • Gaming
    • Investigations
    • Social Services
    • TRANSPORTATION
  • Opinion
    • CT Viewpoints
    • CT Artpoints
DONATE
Reflecting Connecticut’s Reality.
    COVID-19
    Vaccine Info
    Money
    Politics
    Education
    Health
    Justice
    More
    Environment
    Economic Development
    Gaming
    Investigations
    Social Services
    TRANSPORTATION
    Opinion
    CT Viewpoints
    CT Artpoints

LET�S GET SOCIAL

Show your love for great stories and out standing journalism

Decision time for McKinney-Walker on public financing

  • Politics
  • by Mark Pazniokas
  • June 20, 2014
  • View as "Clean Read" "Exit Clean Read"
John P. McKinney and his running mate, David M. Walker. (file photo)

CT Mirror

John P. McKinney and his running mate, David M. Walker, at the convention last month.

The Republican gubernatorial campaign of John P. McKinney is likely to jointly apply next week for public financing with his running mate, David M. Walker, an acknowledgement of McKinney’s difficulty in raising the necessary $250,000 in qualifying contributions.

The joint application would mean forgoing a separate $406,275 lieutenant governor’s grant for Walker, but it provides a quicker path to a gubernatorial grant of $1,354,250 that McKinney and Walker could share for their coordinated GOP primary campaigns.

McKinney and Walker agreed in May to continue to separately fundraise in hopes of each qualifying for grants under the state’s voluntary program of publicly financing state campaigns, setting an internal deadline for deciding if they would pool their qualifying contributions and make a joint application.

“That time has come, and we’re going to lock arms with Dave Walker and try to get the filing done,” said Sen. Len Fasano, R-North Haven, a senior adviser to the McKinney campaign. “The clock is running.”

Walker said Friday his campaign hit the $75,000 qualifying threshold Thursday night to independently qualify for a lieutenant governor’s grant, but he intends to honor the deal he made to merge the campaigns.

“I gave my word to John McKinney, and right before the convention he gave his word to me that we would make a decision this weekend on whether we would merge,” Walker said. “Whether I am qualified or not, I gave my word, and that’s all that’s necessary.”

The joint application is an acknowledgement that time is growing short for McKinney. If he applies by next week, the soonest he could realistically expect the financing would be July 8, exactly five weeks before the Aug. 12 primary.

Tom Foley, the convention-endorsed GOP candidate and front-runner in the primary, hopes to win approval of his grant Wednesday. He has allied himself with no running mate.

The inability to qualify for public financing knocked Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton out of the race for the GOP gubernatorial nomination Wednesday.

He conceded he could not meet the $250,000 threshold without the help of a running mate. An alliance with Heather Bond Somers came undone when Somers decided after the convention she was stronger as a free-agent candidate for lieutenant governor.

Somers says she has reached the $75,000 threshold this week and is applying for a grant. The convention-endorsed candidate for lieutenant governor, Penny Bacchiochi, won approval of her grant Wednesday.

The State Elections Enforcement Commission postponed action on Foley’s application this week after its staff was able to validate only $220,977 of his $264,148 as qualifying contributions. Each contribution is accompanied by an affidavit, and contributions can be rejected if the accompanying paperwork is insufficient.

The commission has a weekly deadline of Wednesday for applications. Under state law, it then has two weeks to make an initial ruling on an application.

At the time that McKinney and Walker struck their alliance, they said they would try to qualify separately, but would pool their funds for a joint application if the time came. The commission interpreted the law in 2010 to allow candidates for governor and lieutenant governor to pool their qualifying contributions and jointly apply for one gubernatorial grant.

A candidate for lieutenant governor needs $75,000 in contributions of no more than $100 each to qualify for the $406,275 grant for the primary. A candidate for governor needs $250,000, also in contributions of no more than $100 each, for the grant of $1.35 million.

In the most recent reports, which were filed April 10, McKinney reported raising $180,111. He declared his candidacy on July 23. Walker raised $61,500 in an exploratory committee before creating a candidate committee on April 11.

“John and I both had a very successful week of fundraising,” Walker said. “We had our last fundraiser last evening.”

McKinney and his campaign spokeswoman could not be reached Friday morning for an updated fundraising figure.

The Democratic ticket of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman, who have no primary, were approved Wednesday for a general-election grant of $6.5 million.

Sign up for CT Mirror's free daily news summary.

Free to Read. Not Free to Produce.

The Connecticut Mirror is a nonprofit newsroom. 90% of our revenue comes from people like you. If you value our reporting please consider making a donation. You'll enjoy reading CT Mirror even more knowing you helped make it happen.

YES, I'LL DONATE TODAY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mark Pazniokas is the Capitol Bureau Chief and a co-founder of CT Mirror. He is a frequent contributor to WNPR, a former state politics writer for The Hartford Courant and Journal Inquirer, and contributor for The New York Times.

SEE WHAT READERS SAID

RELATED STORIES
Cardona taps a top Lamont staffer to join him at the U.S. Department of Education
by Jacqueline Rabe Thomas

Nick Simmons was director of strategic initiatives in Lamont's office for nearly two years.

Lamont, top lawmakers make progress streamlining emergency orders issued during pandemic
by Keith M. Phaneuf

It remains unclear whether the two parties will agree on the extent of the governor’s emergency powers during future crises.

Clark Chapin is the GOP choice for state auditor
by Mark Pazniokas

Clark Chapin has been nominated to succeed the late Rob Kane as the Republican auditor of public accounts.

Keep youths out of the justice system, or hold them accountable? Judiciary committee advances bills that do both
by Kelan Lyons

Republicans were concerned about a provision in one bill that would erase certain juvenile records.

Three measures seek to promote regional sharing, cost savings
by Tom Condon

People believe the property tax burden can be significantly reduced by sharing services on a regional basis.

Support Our Work

Show your love for great stories and outstanding journalism.

$
Select One
  • Monthly
  • Yearly
  • Once
Artpoint painter
CT ViewpointsCT Artpoints
Opinion Enriching the already rich — it’s been the American way.
by David Holahan

There are supposed to be two certainties in life: death and taxes. Here's a 2021 corollary: As the rich get richer and richer, they pay less and less into the U.S. Treasury. It’s no joke, my fellow 1040 filers. A recent study by economists and the IRS found that the richest Americans —yes, those infamous one-percenters— have been cheating on their taxes to the collective tune of at least $175 billion a year.

Opinion There is no equity without standardized race, ethnicity and language data
by The Rev. Robyn Anderson

Over a year into a pandemic that has cost the lives of Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and other people of color at rates that are unjust and preventable, we cannot allow ourselves or our state to continue to use the word “equity” without the data to show policies really are addressing injustice. We all know the disparities aren’t about race; they’re about racism.

Opinion Baseball is still a civil rights battleground
by Steve Thornton

For over 150 years, the baseball field has been a battleground for civil rights. Bigoted politicians like Texas governor Greg Abbott are still fighting the Civil War — on the wrong side of history.

Opinion Getting connected for Connecticut students
by Sabrina Tucker-Barrett

There is one key to ensuring the success of Connecticut students: we must keep them connected. Whether your children are in fifth grade or freshman year, they have or will continue to learn virtually in some capacity, which means unstable Wi-Fi during class, delays in homework submission or inability to research are unacceptable.

Artwork Grand guidance
by Anne:Gogh

In a world of systemic oppression aimed towards those of darker skintones – representation matters. We are more than our equity elusive environments, more than numbers in a prison and much more than victims of societal dispositions. This piece depicts a melanated young man draped in a cape ascending high above multiple forms of oppression. […]

Artwork Shea
by Anthony Valentine

Shea is a story about race and social inequalities that plague America. It is a narrative that prompts the question, “Do you know what it’s like to wake up in new skin?”

Artwork The Declaration of Human Rights
by Andres Chaparro

Through my artwork I strive to create an example of ideas that reflect my desire to raise social consciousness, and cultural awareness. Jazz music is the catalyst to all my work, and plays a major influence in each piece of work.”

Artwork ‘A thing of beauty. Destroy it forever’
by Richard DiCarlo | Derby

During times like these it’s often fun to revisit something familiar and approach things with a different slant. I have been taking some Pop culture and Art masterpieces and applying the vintage 1960’s and 70’s classic figures (Fisher Price, little people) to the make an amusing pieces. Here is my homage to Fisher -Price, Yellow […]

Twitter Feed
A Twitter List by CTMirror

Engage

  • Reflections Tickets & Sponsorships
  • Events
  • Donate
  • Newsletter Sign-Up
  • Submit to Viewpoints
  • Submit to ArtPoints
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Commenting Guidelines
  • Legal Notices
  • Contact Us

About

  • About CT Mirror
  • Announcements
  • Board
  • Staff
  • Sponsors and Funders
  • Donors
  • Friends of CT Mirror
  • History
  • Financial
  • Policies
  • Strategic Plan

Opportunity

  • Advertising and Sponsorship
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Use of Photography
  • Work for Us

Go Deeper

  • Steady Habits Podcast
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Five Things

The Connecticut News Project, Inc. 1049 Asylum Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105. Phone: 860-218-6380

© Copyright 2021, The Connecticut News Project. All Rights Reserved. Website by Web Publisher PRO