Herbst launches TV ad campaign

Tim Herbst, the former Trumbull first selectman, will begin his primary TV campaign on Monday, finally joining the two self-funders and Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton in the contest for the hearts and votes of Connecticut Republicans heading into the Aug. 14 primary for governor.

“These ads are really going to make a contrast with the rest of the field and they are going to distinguish my candidacy from the others, as the most-consistent Republican in the race who is ready to upend and dismantle business as usual,” Herbst said Friday morning.

Herbst’s on-air presence will join the monthslong efforts by Bob Stefanowski, of Madison, and David Stemerman, of Greenwich, two self-funded political neophytes who eschewed the May GOP convention and achieved the primary ballot by petitioning. Herbst, who came in second at the party convention, will join Boughton, who won the party endorsement and who went on-air last week.

Most recently, Boughton signed a $36,000 contract with WFSB Channel 3, for an ad buy.

Meanwhile, the other candidate in the five-way primary who survived the convention — Steve Obsitnik, the Westport tech entrepreneur, is still awaiting final approval from state regulators who awarded Boughton and Herbst their $1.35 million grants in the voluntary public-finance program.

Herbst