Hartford mayoral challenger Luke Bronin has taken the early fundraising lead against incumbent and fellow Democrat Pedro Segarra.
Bronin reported campaign donations of $381,087 for the quarter ended March 31, while Segarra reported raising $202,941.
Meanwhile, Democrat and attorney John Q. Gale raised $63,455 since his candidacy officially began Jan. 29, according to his campaign, which said Gale has raised a total of $92,473.
And City Councilman Joel Cruz, a member of the Working Families Party, raised $4,800, according to the Hartford Courant, which reviewed fundraising filings Friday.
“I am humbled by the support for my campaign to be Hartford’s next mayor,” Bronin said in a statement. “Hartford needs strong leadership that’s focused on attracting jobs, strengthening our neighborhoods and our neighborhood schools, and making City Hall work.”
Bronin is a partner at the law firm Hinckley Allen, and was recently general counsel for Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.
Segarra, also an attorney, is seeking his second full term in office. In 2010, he replaced former Mayor Eddie Perez, who resigned after being convicted on bribery and extortion charges. Segarra was reelected in 2011.
Perez’s conviction was later overturned by the State Appellate Court. Prosecutors are appealing the ruling to the State Supreme Court.
“The fact that the mayor nearly doubled what he raised in 2011 shows that support for Mayor Segarra is strong and we did it in a shorter period of time,” Segarra’s campaign spokeswoman, Shelly Sindland, said in a statement.
In the first quarter of 2011, when he was facing a challenge from fellow Democrat Shawn Wooden, Segarra raised $110,865.
Gale said in a statement that he was pleased with his first-quarter total, given that he announced later than Segarra and Bronin.
“As pleased as we are with this showing, this race will be decided by the voters, not the donors, and my campaign will continue to focus on bringing neighborhood solutions to every city block in Hartford,” Gale said.
Correction: The original version of this story gave an incorrect month for when Gale launched his campaign committee. The story has also been modified to clarify Gale’s official Q1 fundraising total vs. his overall total.
