Democrats face leadership questions

Nick Balletto, the Democratic state chair for the last four years and previously the Democratic vice chairman for four years, recently found himself in the news discussing his potential re-election as state chairman.

The articles all seem topped with a heading something like, “Lamont mum on Party Chair.”

Ned Lamont, as we know, was recently elected Democratic governor, taking office in January. He was strongly supported by Balletto at the nominating convention, forcing all other contenders to seek the ballot route including Joe Ganim, whose Town Chairman Mario Testa controls four to six members of the Democratic State Central Committee.

Balletto’s re-election as chair, however, now is very uncertain.

The Democratic state chair is elected by a majority vote of 72 State Central Committee members who are themselves elected by delegates to the state convention in their respective districts spread throughout the state.

One would have thought that Balletto would have done one or both of the following: (a) obtained personal commitments from a substantial majority of the Democratic State Central Committee to support him for state chairman regardless of the position taken by either Lamont or U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy or (b) received unequivocal commitments of support from Lamont and Murphy, who have taken a major interest in the operation of the state Democratic Party.

Murphy has two key staffers: Kenny Curran, town chairman in Waterbury and manager of Murphy’s Connecticut office, and Sean Scanlon, who is my own state representative in Branford. Both Curran or Scanlon represent a unique challenge to Balletto. Then there is Justin Kronholm, a member of the Democratic State Central Committee and a confidant of retiring Attorney General George Jepson, who appears to be locked in to what Lamont may favor.

It appears obvious that Balletto does not have the personal support of the majority of the members of State Central and currently is operating in a sea of political weakness. By not coming out and endorsing Balletto, Lamont possibly has delivered a death blow to Balletto’s chances of staying state chairman. Even if Lamont ultimately endorses Balletto, not having done so immediately will weaken Balletto so significantly that he would have little sway with the party.

Not too long ago it used to be that a state chair was where the rubber hit the road. The state chair handled public relations for the party, did the television interviews and created and participated in party positions and the nomination of candidates and other officials. In today’s Democratic Party, with the advent of strong, effective executive directors, the power and influence of the state chair has been eroded.

One of the reasons Balletto likely wants to be state chair is to be able to play in the political arena of the Association of Democratic State Chairs — if you can get elected as chairman of that group you automatically become a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee and become a player in a much larger pond. I personally went as far as becoming a regional vice president of the association.

If I were a betting man I would say that the next Democratic state chair will probably be Kenny Curran or Justin Kronholm. They are both wired in to politically powerful sponsors and fit the Murphy-Lamont mold as well as have the ability to be an effective party spokesman.

Balletto may deserve better; however, he should have thought out the consequences before he jumped on the Lamont bandwagon throwing all the other potential candidates to one side without ever receiving a commitment. Politics is hardball and it looks as if Balletto may experience its consequences.