Cranley said few were willing to take on Chabot after his defeat of the popular mayor, clearing the field for a political newcomer such as himself to secure the Democratic nomination.

But Cranley said he thinks he can succeed where the popular mayor failed.

Cranley devoted much of his speech to explaining his fundraising techniques.

In the past four months, Cranley has been able to garner key endorsements and been able to raise a good deal of funds on his own, without support from the DNC

"For me to get onto the list of 'target races', it was necessary to raise an unaided $100,000 by April 1st; we were able to raise over $150,000. Once we cross that threshold the money will start coming in from political action committees and the DNC," Cranley said.

But Cranley acknowledged that the effort needed to establish his campaign financially means he spends much of his time hitting up big donors.

"I have to spend most of day raising funds, and I can't afford to spend time with people who can only give me $50. I can only spend time with people who can give me $1,000," he said.