Few top-of-ticket surprises expected at CT Dems convention

HARTFORD — The endorsements for top-of-theticket races will be little more than a formality as Connecticut Democrats gather Friday and Saturday at the XFinity Theatre for their biennial convention.

Instead, the focus will be on the lesser-known offices of secretary of state and treasurer, which together have drawn the interest of eight newcomers seeking open seats.

Over the course of the two days, delegates at the convention will cast several rounds of ballots to determine party endorsements for those statewide offices, as well as this fall’s U.S. Senate race. Candidates who fail to earn the party’s endorsement can also secure a spot on the primary ballot if they pass the minimum threshold for support.

The Republican Party, meanwhile, will hold its own statewide convention this weekend at Foxwoods Casino.

Candidates for Congress and the state legislature will vie for party endorsements at their own series of local conventions held around the state into this summer.

How it will work

The Democratic Convention will host 2,169 local party delegates from around the state, though the threshold to receive the party’s endorsement will be based on the number of delegates who actually check into the convention.

During several rounds of voting over two days, candidates will vie for the support of a majority of those delegates — about 1,085 or slightly fewer if there are absent delegates — to secure the party’s endorsement.

If more than two candidates for any office are able to secure the support of more than 15 percent of the delegates during any round of voting, they will qualify for a primary to be held Aug. 9. Candidates may also gather signatures to petition their way onto the primary ballot if they fail to qualify at the convention.

The official rules for the convention will be adopted by a committee in charge of that process shortly before the delegates arrive in Hartford on Friday evening.

Races to watch

On Friday, the convention will focus on the likely coronation of U.S Sen. Richard Blumenthal as the nominee for a third term in Washington, after the senator romped to victory in the 2010 and 2016 elections.

With more than $8 million cash on hand, in addition to immense personal wealth, Blumenthal has a clear path to the nomination and no Democrats who even filed paperwork for the seat with the Federal Election Commission.

It’s a similar story for Gov. Ned Lamont, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz and Attorney General William Tong, all of whom are running for reelection without any declared opposition from other Democrats.

Endorsements for those races, as well as the offices of comptroller, secretary of state and treasurer will take place during a longer session on Saturday.

In the open comptroller’s race — created by the December resignation of former Comptroller Kevin Lambo due to health issues — state Rep. Sean Scanlon, D-Guilford, is widely seen as the front-runner for the party’s endorsement after serving as co-chair of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee. Joseph Taraya, a Democrat from Madison, has also submitted paperwork to run for the office.

If Scanlon receives the nomination along with the party’s roster of incumbents, that would leave the Democratic Party with a majoritywhite and majority-male slate of candidates for statewide office, and the party would likely seek to expand the diversity of its ticket through the remaining two offices.

“It’ll be very interesting what that stage looks like at the end of the night and it will not reflect well on the state of Connecticut if the only person of color up there is Tong, and if the only woman there is going to be Susan Bysiewicz,” said state Rep. Geraldo Reyes, D-Waterbury, who is the chairman of the Connecticut Black and Puerto Rican Caucus.

The secretary of the state’s race has drawn five declared candidates who are seeking to replace retiring Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, who has held the office since 2011. The declared candidates include three state representatives — Rep. Hilda Santiago, of Meriden, Rep. Stephanie Thomas, of Norwalk, and Rep. Josh Elliott, of Hamden — along with New Haven City Health Director Maritza Bond and state Sen. Matt Lesser, of Middletown.

Reyes announced his support this week for Santiago, who would be the first Hispanic woman elected to statewide office in Connecticut.

In the treasurer’s race, the sudden decision by Treasurer Shawn Wooden to not seek reelection last month set off a flurry of speculation about who may seek the office. Three candidates have submitted paperwork: Former Greenwich investment manager Dita Bhargava, head of the New Haven Housing Authority Karen Dubois Walton and Erick Russell, a former vice chairman of the state party from Newtown.

The Democratic Party has nominated a Black candidate for treasurer in every election since 1962, prompting some to call for the party to expand its diversity through other offices. The party has not nominated any Black candidates for other statewide offices during that

period.