State GOP Chairman Jerry Labriola Jr. introduces Ann Romney at Prescott Bush Awards dinner in April 2012.
Running on fumes toward the end of 2013 — so much so that the party chairman was prepared to forgo his salary — the Connecticut GOP says it rebounded to have its best fundraising haul for the month of January in its history.
State Republican Chairman Jerry Labriola Jr. told Hearst Connecticut Newspapers that the party raised more than $100,000 from several hundred donors between its state and federal fundraising accounts last month, echoing a talking a points memo that was emailed Tuesday to supporters.
In the grips of a statewide election drought that dates back to 2006 and trailing the Democrats in fundraising by a wide margin, the state GOP says it is not reliant on special interests the way its political rivals have become and that 97 percent of its donors are from Connecticut.
“Certainly there’s been a recognition of the pay-to-play shakedowns, which are prevalent with the Democratic State Party,” Labriola said of the recent infusion of contributions to the GOP. “They have awoken a sleeping giant.”
James Hallinan, a spokesman for the Connecticut Democrats, scoffed at Labriola’s remarks.
“It’s comical that the Connecticut GOP attacks Democrats for every fundraising move we make, but then in the same breath they tout their own fundraising,” Hallinan told Hearst. “Never can tell which way the wind is blowing with the Connecticut GOP.”
Official campaign finance reports for the month of January were not available yet for Republicans, who said that 85 percent of the contributions received by the party were $100 or less.