All of New Haven's invited! (Except reporters.)
Mayor Justin Elicker has raised the money to run another clean-money campaign.
So his campaign announced in a release issued Thursday. The release reported that the Democratic incumbent has in the first month of his quest for a third two-year term raised “over $54,000 from more than 340 donors, 233 of whom (nearly 70%) are New Haven residents.”
That total includes the more than 200 New Haven residents’ minimum-$5 donations required to qualify for the Democracy Fund, New Haven’s public-financing program for mayoral elections. 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.
The Democracy Fund will review Elicker’s submission to confirm that he qualifies for a $23,000 grant along with two-to-one matches for the first $35 of New Haveners’ donations.
“The support we’re receiving is a reflection of how people feel about the direction of our city,” the release quoted Elicker as stating.
Republican John Carlson also participated in the Fund when he ran against Elicker in 2021. He said Thursday that he hasn’t decided yet whether to run for mayor again this year — but will participate in the Fund if he does.
“While the DF is a wonderful tool for democracy at the mayor’s level, I do not see the need, nor the city having the funding, to expand it to other offices as some have proposed,” Carlson added.
Tom Goldenberg, an ex-McKinsey & Company consultant who has also filed papers to seek the Democratic mayoral nomination, was asked Thursday if he plans to participate in the Democracy Fund. Rather than answer the question in an interview, he said he would text his response. (Update: Goldenberg sent the following text at 4:11 p.m.: “As I continue to assemble my campaign team I will take a hard look at the Democracy Fund. I appreciate the purpose and spirit of Democracy Fund but want to consider all my options.”) Democracy Fund Executive Director Alyson Heimer said Goldenberg said he currently did not plan to participate but hasn’t ruled it out.
Goldenberg also announced that he will bar the press from his campaign launch event, scheduled to be held at Il Gabbiano on Long Wharf on Jan. 14.
Asked why, he responded, “It’s a fundraiser. It’s for my birthday. I’m not going to allow any media there.” He promised to issue a statement to the media on that date. (Update: After the publication of this article, Goldenberg changed his mind and decided to open up the Jan. 14 campaign event to the press.)