Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., smiles as he speaks to attorney general nominee Loretta Lynch on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2015, before the Senate Judiciary Committee’s confirmation hearing. If confirmed, Lynch would replace Attorney General Eric Holder, who announced his resignation in September after leading the Justice Department for six years. She is now the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. This is the first nomination hearing under the new Republican majority. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
A Hillary Clinton presidency could have at least one upside for Connecticut Republicans — the prospect of a Cabinet appointment for U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal.
That could be the best hope of the GOP of dislodging Blumenthal from his Senate seat, albeit after the 2016 election and with a sitting Democratic governor picking Blumenthal’s interim successor until the 2018 election.
Blumenthal, 68, a Yale Law School classmate of Clinton and former longtime state attorney general, is reloading for his re-election campaign as a prohibitive favorite with an approval rating surpassing 60 percent, media omnipresence and a powerful network of campaign contributors on both coasts.
Blumenthal’s campaign treasury is about to get an ample infusion of cash from the senator’s hometown of Greenwich.
Derek Kaufman, the head of global fixed income for the Chicago-based hedge fund Citadel Investment Group, will host a Feb. 22 fundraising reception for Blumenthal at his Round Hill Road estate, according to an invitation obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media.
Tickets start at $1,000 and go up to $5,200 per person, the maximum allowed under federal law. The host committee includes former U.S. Senate and former gubernatorial candidate Ned Lamont, as well Madison Grose, senior Managing Director and co-general counsel of Starwood Capital.
“Senator Blumenthal is now up for reelection and he is working hard to show early strong support from Connecticut to dissuade the strength of potential opponents,” the invitation says.
As of Sept. 30, Blumenthal for Connecticut reported $578,697 cash on hand in its fundraising account, according to the Federal Election Commission.
The race has drawn tepid interest from Republicans, who haven’t won a statewide election since 2006.
In 2010, Blumenthal weathered $50 million in campaign spending by GOP foe and wrestling matriarch Linda McMahon.