The two major-party candidates in this year’s gubernatorial election are not accepting public financing.

Instead, both opted to make multi-million dollar contributions to their own campaigns. But self financing a run for governor doesn’t mean forgoing money from supporters all over the state. Even if those contributions, in comparison to overall campaign cash, are small.

As of October, Democrat Ned Lamont reported spending about $12 million of his own money on his campaign for governor. As of late August, data from the State Elections Enforcement Commission shows he gathered around $270,000 in contributions from about 2,400 donors.

Updated numbers released Wednesday, Oct. 17, show that has grown to around $646,000 from about 3,700 unique donors.

Contributions To Ned Lamont

This is a state/nationwide map of contributions to Ned Lamont, which does not include self-donations. You can zoom and click on dots for donor name and contribution amount. Multiple contrbutions from a single address result in darker dots. Updated 10/17/18

Contributions To Bob Stefanowski

Republican Bob Stefanowski contributed about $3 million of his own money to his campaign, according to spokesperson Kendall Marr. As of late August, data shows he also cultivated nearly $650,000 from about 1,400 donors.

New numbers released Wednesday show he’s now raised about $2 million from around 3,200 unique contributors. More than doubling his donor base and vastly increasing his campaign contribution war chest.

“Campaign contributions, I would say, matter more to Stefanowski, compared to Lamont,” said Gary Rose, a professor and chair of the department of government at Sacred Heart University.

“Lamont is really self funded and he has a bottomless well of resources,” Rose said. “Stefanowski, on the other hand, has spent a lot of his own money to win the primary, but he’s actually running a little short on cash these days.”

Stefanowski reported about $747,000 cash on hand in the latest reporting period, according to SEEC data. Lamont reported about $5.5 million.

This is a state/nationwide map of contributions to Bob Stefanowski, which does not include self-donations. You can zoom and click on dots for donor name and contribution amount. Multiple contrbutions from a single address result in darker dots. Updated 10/17/18

“At least with the Stefanowski campaign, I think there seems to be a little bit more of a populist dimension to his donor base,” Rose said. “It’s not concentrated in Fairfield county, which is often where the Republican money comes from. It seems to be actually out among other parts of the state where money has not come from traditionally.”

A “Grassroots” Governor?

“These numbers suggest that these are both grassroots campaigns, although we know that the vast majority of money behind these campaigns is from the candidates’ pockets,” said Doug Spencer, a professor of law and public policy at UConn, in an email.

Both Lamont and Stefanowski chose to opt out of Connecticut’s Citizens’ Election Program (CEP), which grants a gubernatorial candidate $6 million in public funding if they raise $250,000 in individual contributions between $5 and $100.

Neither Lamont or Stefanowski did that before the late August deadline, Spencer said.

“Either the candidates didn’t think they could raise $250,000 in small contributions, or they didn’t want to (or both),” Spencer wrote.

Spencer said late August reports indicate Stefanowski raised about $65,000 in contributions that were $100 or less. That’s about 70% of his total contributor pool.

For Lamont, that number was about $125,000. That’s 95% of his total contributor pool.

“The amounts are far from what the candidates needed to have raised by August 27 ($250,000),” Spencer wrote.

Contributions To Oz Griebel

The other major player in this year’s gubernatorial race, independent candidate Oz Griebel, is also forgoing CEP funds.

He raised around $150,000 in contributions in advance of the Aug. 27 CEP deadline.

New numbers released Oct. 17 show his contribution pool has increased to around $241,000.

“In his case, it’s really all about … individual contributions, as well as his own money,” Rose said.

This is a state/nationwide map of contributions to Oz Griebel, which does not include self-donations. You can zoom and click on dots for donor name and contribution amount. Multiple contrbutions from a single address result in darker dots. Updated 10/17/18

UConn’s Doug Spencer said other gubernatorial candidates this election cycle raised significantly more funds from smaller donors before the late August deadline.

Candidates like Republicans Steve Obsitnik, Mark Boughton, and Timothy Herbst all qualified for CEP funding through statewide fundraising, but failed to advance to the general election.

Occupations of Political Donors

All three major candidates appear to be benefitting from contributions from retirees.

“Retirees are a group that encompasses all different types of occupations,” said Logan Dancey, an assistant professor of government at Wesleyan University. “People who are older, have more roots in the community. More time to develop their political identity. Potentially, more time to follow politics, especially if they’re retired.”

Jobs of Lamont Contributors

This is a chart of the most popular occupations of Ned Lamont contributors. The chart is the top 1% of all occupations reflected in the SEEC dataset. Job titles are self-reported by contributors. Updated 10/17/18

Jobs of Stefanowski Contributors

This is a chart of the most popular occupations of Bob Stefanowski contributors. The chart is the top 1% of all occupations reflected in the SEEC dataset. Job titles are self-reported by contributors. Updated 10/17/18

Jobs of Griebel Contributors

This is a chart of the most popular occupations of Oz Griebel contributors. The chart is the top 1% of all occupations reflected in the SEEC dataset. Job titles are self-reported by contributors. Updated 10/17/18

“It does seem, perhaps not the most rational thing in the world. To send money to a candidate who is largely self-funding his campaign,” said Dancey. “But I suppose that for a lot of voters it’s a way of showing that this is a candidate you believe in.”

Dancey said for self-funded politicians, cultivating donations, even if you’re spending a lot of your own cash, has political advantages.

“Candidates probably like to talk about what percentage of their donations are small money donations, because it makes it look like they have more grassroots support,” Dancey said.

Raw Contribution Data

Connecticut Public Radio is making the contribution databases available for download and searchable below.

Most recent (10/17/18) aggregate data obtained from the State Elections Enforcement Commission: (http://seec.ct.gov/eCrisHome/eCRIS_Search/PreviousYears). Numbers will be updated as new data is made available. There is no database for Mark Stewart Greenstein as he was entirely self-funded in the latest aggregate (10/17/18) SEEC report.

Contributors To Ned Lamont

This does not include self contributons.

Contributors To Bob Stefanowski

This does not include self contributons.

Contributors To Oz Griebel

This does not include self contributons.

Contributors To Rod Hanscomb

This does not include self contributons.

Mark Stewart Greenstein

No contributors. Greenstein was entirely self-funded in the latest (10/17/18) SEEC report.

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