Esty raises $340K for Conn. House primary

Former Connecticut state Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D) banked more than $340,000 in the second quarter of 2012, leaving the Democrat with more than $900,000 cash on hand

The campaign said Monday it had raised $1.5 million to date.

“I’m proud of the strong support I’ve continued to receive from people across Connecticut and across the country,” Esty said in a statement. “I’m touched by the overwhelming response we’ve received from people in cities and towns across central and northwest Connecticut, and I’m honored by the hard work of our volunteers who have already helped us knock on thousands of doors and make tens of thousands of phone calls to voters across the 5th District. With five weeks to go until the Democratic primary, I’m working hard every day to earn every vote.”

Connecticut voters will decide Aug. 14 between Esty and her two primary opponents, Dan Roberti and state House Speaker Chris Donovan. Neither of the two has released his second-quarter numbers yet, although both were outpaced by Esty in the first quarter. But the overall race is still expected to be tight, with only about $200,000 in cash on hand separating the three candidates at the end of the first quarter.

The trio is vying to replace Rep. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who is vacating his fifth district position to run for the state's open U.S. Senate seat.

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