The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Ganim hits the campaign trail too fast and gets pulled over
Joe Ganim got out of the starting blocks of his gubernatorial race Wednesday fast — too fast.
The SUV the Bridgeport mayor was riding in between campaign stops in Hartford and Waterbury was pulled over for speeding by State Police on Interstate 84 in Southington.
The rented Ford Expedition with Pennsylvania license plates was being driven by Ramon Garcia. The speedometer read 100 mph.
“A little bit fast,” the state trooper said to Ganim through the passenger side window.
He asked what the hurry was.
Ganim apologized as Garcia handed the trooper his license. He made no mention of his candidacy.
“We’re a little behind schedule,” Ganim said. “Sorry about that.”
No ticket or written warning was issued to Garcia, the driver, who is a Bridgeport police detective and part of Ganim’s security detail.
State police said the vehicle was clocked at 87 mph, but a reporter who was invited along for the ride observed the speedometer shortly before the car was pulled over.
Fanfare and flummox
Gamin registered Wednesday as a candidate for governor, a bold overture by a politician who served seven years in federal prison for corruption. He instantly becomes the biggest household name — for better or worse — to enter a crowded field dominated by fellow mayors and first selectmen.
“This election is not going to be about someone’s past,” Ganim, 58, told a media throng outside the Capitol in Hartford. “As you know, I’m not a guy that shies away from challenges and controversy. I’m going to run and I’m going to run hard.”
The 1994 Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, Ganim spent the day doing a roadshow to promote his candidacy, which was greeted with fanfare and flummox. The tour started in Bridgeport and included stops in New Haven and Waterbury.
Republicans immediately tried to cast Ganim as part of a trio of Democratic mayors with gubernatorial ambitions that they say have baggage. The others are Middletown’s Dan Drew and Hartford’s Luke Bronin.
State GOP Chairman J.R. Romano noted that Ganim is not eligible for public campaign financing under the state’s clean elections program because of his felony conviction for accepting bribes.
“In was a wise decision for the (State Elections Enforcement Commission) to deny Mayor Ganim taxpayer money based on his political criminal record, but with the Democrat field filled with the likes of a failed mayor from Hartford and a mayor currently under investigation by his own common council, I can see why Joe Ganim thinks he has a shot,” Romano said.
Staking out the cities
A media throng shadowed Ganim and his entourage, including leaders of the black community, to Hartford for his debut. They crammed into the small third floor offices of the state’s election enforcement agency, where Ganim handed his candidate registration papers to an enforcement officer.
The agency’s offices are across the street from the Capitol, where Ganim held an impromptu news conference in the press gallery. The gaggle was interrupted by a legislative management official, who said only the governor is allowed to hold court in the space.
From the Capitol, Ganim was whisked to Hartford’s North End, where the consummate retail politician visited Norris Barber Shop.
“I didn’t want to come to Hartford and just visit the state Capitol,” Ganim told the shop’s owner, Marcus Brown.
Brown’s cellphone rang, briefly interrupting the exchange. His ringtone was, ironically, the theme from “Law & Order.”
The 06120 ZIP code, also visited by Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign, is the poorest in a state with the widest wealth gap in the nation.
“We could use all kinds of help,” Brown said. “I’ve seen a lot of good things happen down in Bridgeport.”
Ganim made his final Hartford stop at Tangiers, a popular Middle Eastern grocery story and lunch spot. The owners are Lebanese-American like Ganim.
“I’m so glad you came,” said Winfield Latif, one of 11 siblings. “If not here, you can come to my home anytime to eat.”
Latif prepared baklava to-go for Ganim, who insisted on paying for the dessert. Outside, an elderly man greeted Ganim with “As-Salaam-Alaikum,” which means “peace be with you” in Arabic.
New Haven is also expected to play a crucial role in Ganim’s candidacy. It has the most voting delegates for the state Democratic convention, which will be held in May.
Ganim visited New Haven after a lunchtime stop in Waterbury, recording a 30-minute radio appearance on WYBC 94.3 FM. The divorced father of three told host Yusuf Shah that the state needs a bold visionary.
“This is not caretaker time,” Ganim said. “It’s not really anything about me.”
The early bird
Ganim’s day started at 5 a.m. with a five-mile run on a treadmill. He said he runs about an eight-minute mile.
From Bridgeport’s Margaret E. Morton Government Center, it was a short ride to the Milford studios of WPLR, where Ganim announced his candidacy on the “Chaz and AJ Show.” In a blue window pane suit, Ganim was greeted by his lawyer brother, Tom Ganim.
“You’re looking sharp,” Ganim’s brother said.
Ganim’s aides had prepared him for a myriad of tough questions, but it was one about Ganim’s personal life that made Ganim’s spokeswoman Rowena White drop her cellphone.
“Are you dating?” Chaz asked. The answer was, “Yes.” During his barnstorming tour of the state, Ganim addressed several parody Twitter and Facebook accounts that have popped up in recent days, including one called “Ganim for Prison.”
Ganim quoted his onetime friend and associate Donald Trump, who invited Ganim to his wedding to Marla Maples. The two partnered in an unsuccessful casino development in the 1990s in Bridgeport.
“I got two words” about the traffic stop, Ganim joked at the end of the day. He then quoted his old friend Trump: “Fake news.” http://twitter.com/gettinviggy; nvigdor@hearstmediact.com; 203-625-4436