The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Candidates line up for 2018 battle
The ‘Wyman factor’ could be of significance
HARTFORD >> The list of people who want to be Connecticut’s next governor appears to be growing by the day.
Since Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced last month that he won’t seek a third term in 2018, several of his fellow Democrats have stepped forward to express interest in the state’s top job, including Comptroller Kevin Lembo, Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim, former prosecutor Chris Mattei and former Consumer Protection Commissioner Jonathan Harris.
Various Republican candidates have already announced they’re running or thinking about running.
Here are some highlights of the race in its early stages:
The State Elections Enforcement Commission lists five Republicans and three Democrats who have filed paperwork to run for governor. The group includes state Rep. Prasad Srinivasin, a Glastonbury Republican who had raised more than $138,000 in contributions as of early April. Candidates need to raise $250,000 in
small contributions from Connecticut voters in order to qualify for public campaign financing.
Other declared Republican candidates include Joe Visconti, who ran for governor in 2014; Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti, who ran for governor in 2014; Afghan war veteran Micah Welintukonis of Coventry; and Scott Merrell of Norwalk, who previously ran for governor in 2010. Declared Democrats include businesswoman Jacey Wyatt of Branford; Lee Whitnum, a former gubernatorial and Senate candidate from Greenwich; and community organizer Bethy Guiles-Smith of Southington.
Meanwhile, there are eight Republicans and seven Democrats who have created exploratory committees for possible runs for an unnamed statewide office. In some of those cases, the candidate has already publicly expressed an interest in the governorship. That list includes Republican Mayor Mark Boughton of Danbury, Democratic Mayor Dan Drew of Middletown, Lembo, Ganim, Mattei and Harris.
THE WYMAN FACTOR
Missing from the list of candidates so far is Democratic Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman, Malloy’s partner for the past seven years.
Wyman has steered away from saying whether she will seek the party’s endorsement. If she does decide to run for the top spot, some of her fellow Democrats will likely step aside. Harris and Lembo, who worked with Wyman when she was state comptroller, have said they would give deference to the popular Tolland politician.
Lembo said he made his announcement Thursday to form an exploratory committee because he wants to begin raising money.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Besides Wyman, other potential candidates could come forward in the coming weeks.
Some possible candidates who are current state lawmakers are expected to make their decisions after the General Assembly adjourns in June. However, that deadline could be a moving target if a special legislative session is needed to reach a deal on a new two-year budget deal.
Meanwhile, the Democrats and Republicans aren’t expected to hold state conventions to make an endorsement until likely sometime in May of 2018. Depending on what happens at the conventions, primaries could also be held.
The 2018 governor’s race is expected to be hotly contested given the state’s history with governors. When Malloy first took office in 2011, he was the first Democratic governor since William O’Neill, who served from 1980 to 1991. Malloy’s three predecessors were two Republicans and an independent.