MILFORD — With the election just days away, Republican Mayor Anthony Giannattasio and Democratic challenger Richard Smith have raised record-setting amounts of money.
Giannattasio has raised $155,745 and Smith $158,937 from Jan. 1 to Oct. 26, according to finance reports filed with the State Elections Enforcement Commission and available at the Milford City Clerk’s office.
City Clerk Peter Smith said the bulk of the money came from individual donors rather than committees, calling it a significant fundraising haul that underlines both candidates’ popularity, Milford’s growing affluence and the strong investment from political parties.
“It’s double anything that’s ever been raised before in Milford,” Peter Smith said. “It’s stunning.”
Mayoral politics are notably unpredictable in Milford. Elected in 2023, Giannattasio is the first GOP member to hold the office since 2011, when Democrat Ben Blake defeated Republican challenger Bernard F. Joy. That ended a 22-year winning run for the GOP, in which Mayor James Richetelli served 10 years.
Blake served for about a dozen years before he resigned to take a judgeship in 2023, with Richard Smith, his campaign manager, serving as interim for six months. Richard Smith also serves as chairman of the Milford Police Commission.
A 16-year member of the Board of Aldermen, Giannattasio defeated Democratic Registrar of Voters Kerri Rowland in 2023. Republicans have said they hope Giannattasio’s reelection will signal a permanent, conservative shift in voting in this usually Democrat-dominated town.
In the 2023 election, the Democrats lost seats but retained an 8-7 majority among aldermen, an 8-2 majority on the Board of Education and held a 5-5 split on the planning board.
Peter Smith said the kind of money Giannattasio and Richard Smith raised this year normally comes in state Senate races in municipalities much larger than Milford, which has a population of 51,000.
Both candidates have spent most of the money they have raised. As of Oct. 26, Richard Smith reported $33,515 cash on hand after spending $40,602 during the most recent reporting period and $125,421 in total since Jan. 1. Richard Smith received $488 in-kind donations this quarter, and $3,334 since Jan. 1.
Giannattasio has spent significantly more money on advertising than his opponent — $250 on program books or political signs during the third quarter and $19,150 since Jan. 1. His expenses totaled $21,701 this quarter and $86,763 overall, leaving $68,982 yet unspent.
An unusual aspect of the campaign, Peter Smith noted, is how subdued it has been. The candidates have not held a single debate, despite Richard Smith challenging Giannattasio to one — a request Giannattasio declined, Richard Smith said.
Both have preferred to work in their personable, one-on-one campaign styles. Giannattasio continued his practice of appearing at city events like the Milford OktoberFest at Fowler Field and ribbon cuttings. Giannattasio also visited the scene of a fatal arson fire at a homeless encampment to offer comfort to those grieving and to support city firefighters and police.
Richard Smith has knocked on more than 4,000 doors in the city and hosted neighborhood meet and greets. He has touted his record as a key Blake aide, saying that Blake provided a decade of balanced budgets, tax cuts and economic growth for the city and that he will do the same. Giannattasio ran touting his record having improved public safety, business development and revitalization, and stable growth.
Richard Smith, who has an extensive background in computer technology, said he will modernize and improve the efficiency of City Hall and produce savings through attrition (worker retirements) and retraining.Peter Smith said he wouldn’t be surprised if both candidates continue to draw extensive donations right until the election filing period ends. The state’s last campaign filing deadline is April 7, 2026.