Boucher suspends exploratory bid for governor

State Sen. Toni Boucher, R-Wilton, speaks during a Feb. 18, 2014, forum held by the Connecticut Citizens Transportation Lobby forum on Metro-North Railroad at the Pequot Library in Southport.

State Sen. Toni Boucher, R-Wilton, speaks during a Feb. 18, 2014, forum held by the Connecticut Citizens Transportation Lobby on Metro-North Railroad at the Pequot Library in Southport.

Unable to develop traction in a crowded GOP field — both in terms of fundraising and name recognition — state Sen. Toni Boucher, R-Wilton, has deflated her trial balloon for governor to concentrate on her own re-election campaign.

Boucher, 64, announced Tuesday that she is dissolving her six-month-old exploratory committee for statewide office and will repurpose some of the political contributions from the unsuccessful endeavor for her own race.

The move comes exactly one week after Boucher mustered the support of 2 percent of would-be primary voters in a new Quinnipiac University poll, the worst showing among the six Republicans seeking Connecticut’s top office.

Eighty-seven percent of the poll’s respondents said they didn’t know enough about Boucher to form a favorable or unfavorable opinion about the veteran lawmaker.

“We were certainly outmatched when you look at the fact that we hadn’t done anything statewide before,” Boucher told Hearst Connecticut Media.

Boucher downplayed the influence of the poll on her decision, however.

“It’s unfortunate because people will make the wrong supposition,” Boucher said.

Elected to the state Senate in 2008 after serving in the state House for a dozen years, Boucher has devoted her legislative career to education reform and publicly opposed Gov. Dannel P. Malloy concerning the decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana.

Born in Italy and raised in Naugatuck, the 4-foot-11-inch Boucher returned to her childhood home last August to embark on the exploratory phase of a potential run for governor.

“For me, I believe the right choice is this choice,” Boucher said of bowing out. “It’s also a realistic choice, as well.”

Boucher said she raised nearly $85,000 through her exploratory committee, but fell short of a $100,000 goal she set for becoming an official candidate.

“What happened was no one gave us a shot at raising money,” she said. “(But) we raised more than anyone thought we could.”

Contrary to early scuttlebutt among Republicans, Boucher said she is not interested in running for lieutenant governor and believes she is more valuable in the state Senate.

“Do I want to be a ribbon-cutter or a moderator?” Boucher.

Representing all of Wilton, Westport, Redding, Ridgefield and parts of New Canaan, Weston and Bethel, Boucher received more votes than any sitting senator in the 2012 election. She said she will quickly transition to running for re-election, applying $15,000 in unused donations from her exploratory committee towards the state’s threshold for public financing of her campaign. Boucher could be eligible for $94,690 in public funds.

Saying that Republicans face a “headwind” this fall, Boucher stopped short of making an endorsement in the governor’s race. She plans to meet with the remaining GOP candidates before doing so.

“What I want to do is unite our party, Boucher said.

Neil Vigdor