Gov. Charlie Baker is stirring speculation he’s in the running for a third term, banking his biggest fundraising haul of 2021 in June after what some have called an “anemic” year for the popular Republican governor.
“It does suggest that he’s getting more interested but there’s not a long runway between now and the election that’s just over a year away,” said Daniel Mulcare, chairman of Salem State University’s political science department.
Baker tallied $90,854 in donations last month, according to state campaign finance data — nearly as much as the five prior months combined. The Democratic Governors Association wrote Baker off in April, calling his fundraising efforts “anemic.” Baker didn’t break $10,000 in donations over the past two months and his next highest month — January — brought just over $41,000. The fundraising totals pale in comparison to his monthly hauls in the run-up to his last re-election.
Baker-Polito campaign senior adviser Jim Conroy confirmed Baker resumed in-person fundraising in June with COVID-19 in the rearview mirror.
The governor and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito held a joint fundraiser at the UMass Club in the North End on June 23 and Conroy said, “the pace is expected to increase in the coming months.”
But Mulcare said “the numbers still seem low” for a governor with the popularity of Baker seeking re-election.
The governor and his lieutenant aren’t letting anything slip so far when it comes to their intentions for a third term.
Polito continued her trend of out-raising her boss, bringing in $156,881 in June. The lieutenant governor has continued to rake in donations throughout the pandemic, fueling speculation by some that more conservative Polito could be building up her coffers for a potential run for governor.
Polito has $2.2 million in the bank, second only to Democratic Attorney General Maura Healey who is also widely rumored to be considering a run for governor. Healey had $3.12 million on hand following a $700,000 transfer from her campaign account in addition to $114,837 in donations in June.
Former state Sen. Benjamin Downing, a Democrat and the first candidate out of the gate, brought in $39,408 in June. His fundraising totals have lagged recently after a six-figure start when he launched his campaign in February.
Boston Democratic state Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz, who launched her campaign late last month, raked in $33,362 in donations last month and her campaign adviser Joshua Wolfson said she’s setting the bar for a “people-powered campaign” with the lowest average among declared candidates.
Danielle Allen, a Harvard professor and political adviser who became the second Democrat to formally launch her candidacy when she announced her run for governor last month hasn’t yet filed a June fundraising report with the state Office of Campaign Finance. The deadline is Monday.
Herald wire services contributed to this report.
"term" - Google News
July 05, 2021 at 07:23AM
https://ift.tt/3ykGov6
Charlie Baker resumes fundraising, still no word on third term - Boston Herald
"term" - Google News
https://ift.tt/35lXs52
https://ift.tt/2L1ho5r
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Charlie Baker resumes fundraising, still no word on third term - Boston Herald"
Post a Comment