Elicker Raises Another $38K For 2027 Reelection Bid

by Thomas Breen

More than a year before New Haven’s next mayoral election, four-term incumbent Democrat Justin Elicker has on hand nearly $125,000 in reelection campaign cash — after raising more than $38,000 over the last three months.

Those numbers are included in Elicker’s Q3 campaign finance report, which was filed with the state on Oct. 9 and which covers the period spanning July 1 and Sept. 30.

According to that report, which can be read in full here, Elicker’s reelection campaign raised $38,696 in individual contributions and spent $5,918.41 during that time — leaving it with a total of $124,935.06 on hand.

Elicker filed in April to run in New Haven’s 2027 mayoral election. Thanks to 2023’s charter revision, whoever wins that race will become the first New Haven mayor to serve a four-year term.

So far, he faces one declared opponent — “bad mayor” hopeful and local civil rights attorney Alex Taubes, a fellow Democrat. Taubes did not report raising any campaign funds between July and the end of September.

“Just plugging away,” Elicker said when asked on Thursday about his reelection campaign fundraising over the past three months. “It’s important to have funding to pay for a campaign.” He said raising this money early allows him to spread out his reelection efforts over time, giving him the space needed to govern while also running for office.

How might he spend this money? The election’s still “pretty far away,” Elicker said. He’ll likely hire someone in the spring to work on the campaign full time. He also plans on spending these funds on voter outreach.

In a separate phone interview on Thursday, Taubes confirmed that he has not raised any money yet towards his 2027 mayoral run. He said he does plan on fundraising for his campaign.

“Historically, these elections for mayor have had a pretty manageable budget. They’re not multi-million-dollar campaigns,” he said. “It’s not really necessary to be fundraising this far in advance unless you’re the mayor [and] you want to keep it open for favors.”

In a follow-up call, Elicker dismissed Taubes’ statement as a “silly comment.”

Elicker is once again participating in the city’s public-financing Democracy Fund this election cycle. That voluntary, clean-elections program requires mayoral candidates to cap individual contributions at $400 apiece and forswear PAC contributions in exchange for a public grant and matching dollars.

Elicker said that the Democracy Fund is specifically designed to ensure that “no person or entity has undue influence” over a candidate, and for Taubes to claim otherwise in this instance is “baseless.” (Taubes said he hasn’t yet decided on whether or not he will participate in the Democracy Fund this election cycle.)

Donors who gave Elicker’s reelection campaign the Democracy Fund maximum amount of $400 apiece during the third quarter include Connecticut Voices for Children Legislative Coordinator and future New Haven State Rep. Eli Sabin; real estate developer Jeff Spiritos of New York City; retired former Hillhouse Principal Lonnie Garris; Crown Bell Management landlord and property manager Schneur Katz of New Haven; Yale neuroscience Professor Michael Chrair of Guilford; Architect Fereshteh Bekhrad; attorney Gregory Mucicilli of North Haven; Vesta Corporation real estate developer Joshua Greenblatt of West Hartford; Koffee? owner Duncan Goodall of New Haven; downtown landlord David Kuperberg of Steamboat Springs, Colorado; D’Amatos Seafood’s Jennifer D’Amato of Guilford; Napoli Enterprise Trucking truck driver Andrew Crumbie Jr. of West Hartford; Yale Center for Business and Environment Executive Director Stuart Decew of North Haven; and Food and Beverage VP Ashley Elicker of Kennebunkport, Maine, among others.

City department heads who donated to Elicker’s campaign include climate director Steve Winter ($100), Health Director Maritza Bond ($100), city spokesperson Lenny Speiller ($250), and Economic Development Administrator Mike Piscitelli ($250).

Elicker’s campaign reported spending $1,666.50 during that time period on fees for the Democratic campaign software NGP VAN. It also issued a host of refunds to individuals who contributed more than the $400 Democracy Fund max.