Connolly to education group: Don't spend any money on my account

John Connolly said today he has asked Stand for Children not to spend several hundred thousand dollars getting him elected. At a press conference outside City Hall, Connolly said that while he gratefully accepted the group's endorsement, he doesn't want the election warped by large outside expenditures.

Connolly said somebody from the group called him Monday night to tell him it had endorsed him for mayor.

"I thanked him, and he wished me luck, and that was the extent of our conversation. The first I learned of the $500,000 independent expenditure was when I read about it in the newspaper."

He said he wants to win the election, "but I want to win this race the right way, by directly communicating with voters, he said.

He said that was what made Stand for Children's proposed spending different from expenditures by another pro-charter group, Democrats for Education Reform, who are doing a door-knocking campaign. One-on-one campaigning like that is completely different, he said.

Connolly said he is worried about the recent formation of several "independent" campaign groups.

"I'm deeply worried that such groups are going to warp the debate by making large purchases for TV and radio commercials and that they're going to open the door for negative campaigning. I want voters to hear directly from me and my volunteers about my vision for transforming our schools, safe and healthy neighborhoods and jobs and economic opportunity for every Bostonian."