If you or your organization donates $100,000 to the Democratic Governors Association you get six tickets and preferred seating today at the Winter Policy conference in Hartford.
For that price you get breakfast, a chance to participate in policy discussions, and access to discounted rooms at the union-run Hartford Hilton hotel.
It also means you got to attend a two-hour cocktail event Tuesday at the Wadsworth Atheneum, and will have an opportunity to speak with Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, Delaware Gov. Jack Markell, and — last but not least — Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.
That’s right, the Democratic Governors Association is in town and for the right price your company will get to bend the ear of one of the four Democratic governors attending the event.
Asked Tuesday if he and other governors would be meeting with individual attendees, Malloy said, “Yeah, something like that would not be unusual, to hear what service somebody might want to provide or a new product or an interest in relocating to a state.”
When asked if his staff would also be participating in the event, the governor said some would attend.
“Members of my staff will be there. You know, the definition of what participating is as opposed to listening is subject to definition, I suppose, but members of my staff will be there,” he said.
The Democratic Governors Association played a role in Malloy’s 2010 gubernatorial campaign when it spent about $1.7 million on television ads criticizing his Republican opponent, Tom Foley.
The DGA was unable to coordinate with the Malloy campaign, but the negative ad ran at saturation levels.
Malloy went on to become the finance chair of the DGA. As finance chair, Malloy helped raise $20 million in 2011. However, his tenure as finance chair has already concluded.
In the first six months of this year, the DGA has raised $13.4 million, putting it on pace to raise more money than it did in the past few years.
Hugh McQuaid contributed to this report.
