Chris Murphy's U.S. Senate campaign says it brought in $1.1 million in the first quarter of 2011.
"Raising $1.1 million in just over two months is amazing,'' Murphy said in a statement announcing the total. "But I'm most proud of the 1,100 small donors who helped us get there. Thousands of people are investing in our campaign because they want a new, fresh voice in the Senate who has a proven record of fighting for progressive values. This campaign is off to a fantastic start, and I can't wait to see where this journey takes us in the coming months.''
Murphy's press release touts the fact that 70 percent of the donations came from individuals who gave $100 or less.
What Murphy's doesn't say is that the bulk of the money raised came in the form of large contributions - up to $7,500 each.
Federal rules allow a maximum contribution of $2,500 for each of three election "cycles" - first, the party's nominating convention; second, the nominating primary, if that happens; and, third, the general election in November. In the case of a $7,500 maximum contribution for all three election cycles, Murphy can only touch the first $1,500 at this stage and has to hold the other $5,000 in reserve. If he's in a primary, he can use the second $2,500, and if he wins the primary he can use the third $2,500. If he didn't make it into the primary or general election, he would have to return the $2,500 for each of those cycles to the contributor.
Murphy campaign manager Kenny Curran told the Courant's Jon Lender that the campaign received 50 large donations.
Meanwhile, one of Murphy's Democratic party opponents, Susan Bysiewicz, announced last week that her campaign has brought in about $500,000 in the first quarter. \
When asked today how many big-money donors the campaign had, Bysiewicz campaign aide Mark Bergman said, "We had seven max out contributors." He also pointed out that 90% of her contributions came from inside Connecticut. (Murphy said 85 percent of his donors were Connecticut-based.)