Fundraising Numbers Due. McKinney Enjoys Strong Start.

Thursday will see candidates and explorers releasing their early fundraising figures. State Senate Minority Leader john McKinney (R-Fairfield) jumped into the race for governor during the summer and has had some early success in the truncated period. He’ll report around $38,000 in contributions capped at $100 each through September 30th, Daily Ructions has learned. That’s not all. McKinney’s campaign is expected to announce that in the first nine days of October, the eight term legislator raised close to $50,000 in qualifying funds. That puts McKinney at nearly $90,000, more than a third of the way to the millions in public funds the state program provides to each gubernatorial candidate who rings the $250,000 bell.

The strong fundraising start will silence doubters who question McKinney’s commitment to making an energetic effort for the prized Republican nomination for governor to face disappointing Democrat Dannel P. Malloy.

Republicans Toni Boucher, Mark Boughton, and Tom Foley, exploring candidacies for governor, will also report fundraising figures. They are operating under the higher $375 contribution limit allowed under the rules for candidates exploring a race.