Simmons has now raised almost $23,000 in campaign funds
Stonington — A newly filed campaign finance report shows that Republican First Selectman Rob Simmons and his running mate for selectman, John Prue, have now raised a total of $22,989 in campaign funds.
In the report covering the period from Oct. 1 to 29, Simmons and Prue raised $12,569 — $1,500 of which came from the Republican Town Committee. The rest came from a long list of individual donors. After expenditures, they had $13,844 on hand to spend over the closing 10 days of the campaign.
Simmons had rejected a challenge by his Democratic opponent George Crouse to limit fundraising to $6,000, saying it came after he already had begun fundraising and planned his campaign strategy.
Crouse, meanwhile, has filed a document with the state Elections Enforcement Commission saying he is exempt from filing candidate committee fundraising reports because he is among a slate of candidates whose campaigns are being funded solely by the Democratic Town Committee.
That committee’s latest report shows that through Oct. 29 it spent $2,975 on political signs and cards that its candidates, including Crouse, hand out, as well as $1,050 on Facebook and other internet advertising.
The latest report from the Republican Town Committee shows it spent $3,686 on signs and palm cards for its candidates, which include Simmons and Prue. It also shows Simmons made $1,300 in contributions to the Republican Town Committee in the latest reporting period.
Simmons, who raised $33,195 to Crouse’s $5,125 in 2015, defeated Crouse two years ago by a vote 2,893 to 2,093.
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