Murphy begins re-election campaign with fundraising appeal.

Murphy omits some facts in fundraising bid. His re-election campaign began long ago. As of December 31st, Friends of Chris Murphy had $3.9 million in the bank. It spent $1.5 million on operating expenses in 2021 and 2022.

Nevertheless, he announced he has only just begun today:

Hey Kevin, Chris Murphy here. I just kicked off my re-election, and I need your support to make sure we’re ready for the challenges ahead.

The truth is that Senate campaigns, even in a state like Connecticut, are ridiculously expensive. But unlike a lot of my colleagues, I try to raise money the right way. 100% from people and not a dime of PAC money. I also limit my time at fundraising events and don’t spend all day begging billionaires for money. My job is to focus on the work you elected me to do.

I think raising money the right way is good for our democracy. But it means I count that much more on grassroots donations from people like you.

So if you are with me and agree that this is the way we should run campaigns, I am humbly asking you to contribute today:

Politicians have wrecked the common meaning of “humbly” and “humility.” A safe seat has caused Murphy to develop an aversion to PAC money. His attitude was different in the crunch. When the Democrat faced more competitive campaigns he was a longtime favorite of Northeast Utilities (NU) before it merged with Eversource.

Published February 6, 2023.