HARTFORD — After spending heavily to win the U.S. Senate primary, Leora Levy is trying to replenish her coffers in the uphill fundraising battle against Sen. Richard Blumenthal by bringing national Republicans to Connecticut.
Levy remains at a huge fundraising disadvantage after airing numerous commercials and draining her coffers leading up to the August primary in which she defeated party convention-endorsed Themis Klarides in a stunning upset.
Based on the latest public campaign filing as of Sept. 6, Levy now has just $285,643 in cash on hand. That represents a small percentage of Blumenthal’s most recent cash filing of $8.3 million. Blumenthal has been spending heavily recently with television commercials focusing on his accomplishments.
In order to catch up, Levy is hosting two Republicans this week in her hometown of Greenwich. Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel will headline a fundraising luncheon Wednesday and U.S. Sen. Rick Scott will be arriving Sunday. The top price for the Scott event is $25,000 for a private dinner at the home of Linda McMahon, who spent $50 million before losing in 2010 to Blumenthal. Scott will also attend a reception at another home, at $5,000 per person, in the upscale Rock Ridge section within walking distance of the home of Gov. Ned Lamont.
Scott, the governor of Florida, is a major figure in Republican circles as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee that is tasked with breaking the 50-50 tie and winning back the U.S. Senate.
Gary Rose, a longtime political science professor at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, said Levy has largely disappeared from the public eye since winning the primary on Aug. 9 as she spends time raising money.
“Her campaign is struggling, obviously,’’ Rose said in an interview. “When you go against an entrenched incumbent who is going for his third term in office who is a household name, you’ve got to go toe to toe when it comes to money. I would suggest that she’s in trouble. I think her campaign is probably a little bit on the ropes. Her visibility has gone way down since the primary. If she really wants to compete, she’s going to need a lot more money than what she has. … Honestly, I’ve hardly even seen Levy since the primary. I really haven’t.’’
Rose added, “She had a stunning victory, and then it’s like: where is she?’’
But Levy’s aides say the candidate has been meeting voters at major events like the Goshen and Terryville fairs, along with holding a well-attended press conference regarding the controversial comments of Cos Cob School Assistant Principal Jeremy Boland who apparently said on a secretly recorded video that he avoids hiring conservatives, Roman Catholics, and teachers over 30.
Regarding Blumenthal’s recent advertising blitz, Levy campaign spokesman Tim Saler said, “Dick has been trying to distract voters with hundreds of thousands of dollars per week on advertising since the summer because he knows the voters have had enough of him. Dick is concerned, and he should be.”
Concerning criticisms of Levy, Saler asked, “Who is Gary Rose?”
Even with the wide fundraising lead, Blumenthal continues to send e-mails to his supporters to contribute more cash.
“My opponent is a Trump acolyte who will be no more than a rubber-stamp vote for [Sen. Mitch] McConnell and the GOP’s dangerous agenda – and if the GOP flips this state as they intend to do, McConnell would also be calling the shots in Washington again,’’ Blumenthal wrote. “From that moment on, all bets are off. I…
Read More: Greenwich’s Leora Levy working to raise money while chasing U.S. Sen. Blumenthal – Hartford Courant