Ganim To Report $800K Raised In Quest To Upset Lamont

Mayor Joe Ganim’s campaign for governor has raised in total roughly $800,000 for the latest reporting period ending June 30, a respectable neighborhood under normal circumstances in his underdog challenge of Democratic-endorsed Ned Lamont who will leverage millions of dollars of his personal wealth as they go head-to-head in an August 14 Democratic primary. Where the money was raised and subsequent campaign expenditures invested won’t be known until the Ganim campaign finance report is filed Tuesday with the State Elections Enforcement Commission. The Ganim campaign reports it has about $300,000 on hand.

Ganim has averaged nearly $100,000 a month raised since his formal entry into the race. When Ganim announced his candidacy it was among the projected confluence of a large field, but that number reduced dramatically as party regulars bet on the self-funding fortune of Lamont who burst onto Connecticut’s political scene in 2006 winning a Democratic primary against U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman who won another term in the general election running on an independent line. In 2010 Lamont spent roughly $10 million of his own money but lost a gubernatorial primary to party-endorsed Dan Malloy.

Lamont disappeared for years from the political scene but reemerged this year after high-wymprofile Democrats such as Malloy, Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman and Attorney General George Jepsen eschewed a gubernatorial run.

Lamont decided to use his own funds rather than participate in Connecticut’s Citizens Election Program of publicly funded races that avails about $1.3 million to qualifying primary candidates. For general election nominees it’s $6.5 million.

Ganim is prohibited from accessing public dollars as a result of his 2003 conviction on public corruption charges so he’s raising money based on the guidelines of the old rules that include a personal maximum contribution of $3,500.

Ganim would have raised more money were it not for his personal effort leading a petition drive to qualify for the August primary. Ganim came up short to receive the necessary 15 percent party support in May to qualify for the August primary. His campaign operation accomplished a first among a Democratic gubernatorial candidate, securing more than 15,000 verified signatures to cement a primary ballot.

Lamont and Ganim will face off in a forum Thursday night at the Shubert Theater in New Haven organized by the Connecticut Association of Realtors and WTNH News 8.

Ganim is clearly the more skilled retail politician, but plutocrat Lamont has financing and organizational advantages so Ganim must be at the top of his game in the forum to elevate his standing among electors who question his past. He must do that by talking about the future of the state.

Lamont must do double duty as the front runner explaining where he wants to take the state while not alienating voters sensitive to Ganim’s second-chance message he’ll need against the Republican in a presumed general election.

Statement from Ganim’s campaign:

“Our grassroots campaign for governor continues to gain momentum. We are on track to raise $1,000,000 for the primary, which has always been our goal. We have accomplished this at the same time we secured a record 32,000 petition signatures to get on the August primary ballot. Unlike Ned Lamont, we don’t have a multi-million dollar trust fund, but the support of grassroots Democrats who want a candidate who will work to build a new Connecticut economy that works for everyone, not just a wealthy few,” said Ganim.

Ganim also reiterated his call for Lamont to listen to his running mate Susan Bysiewicz, who called on Lamont to limit his campaign spending. Ganim has also called on Lamont to limit his primary spending to $1,000,000.

“Voters are tired of multi-millionaire candidates with no governmental experience who try to buy an election. Ned Lamont has twice spent tens of millions to win office. Having said he will spend at least $10,000,000 on this race, Ned Lamont is at risk of becoming the Linda McMahon of this election cycle. Ned should listen to his own running mate and not attempt to buy his third try at statewide office,” said Ganim.

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19 comments

  1. This means about 30 days of advertising or about 25,000 per day. Will Ganim push for the cities by promoting a casino for the park city and training center in New Haven? Promote himself as a champion for the down trodden? Distinguish himself from the silver spooned Lamont? Show the endorsements from the minority community? Show his governmental experience?

    Whatever road he takes, it will be bloody, unless he is going for a state job with Lamont. We will be able to tell by his video campaign.

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  2. If Ganim would have “raised more if not for his personal effort to lead the petition drive” that was time and money poorly spent.
    I personally don’t believe it and I think it was just PR. The two multimillioners qualified for the Republican primary and they are babes in the woods as far as politics go.
    What’s more amazing is Lennie is buying into this line.

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    1. Troll, that petition drive got off to a scratchy start so Ganim, time wisely spent or not, weighed in heavily organizing petition meetings and, yes, sometimes going into the field himself. You saw him at the OIB party with petition sheets. So in that regard he was missing fundraising call time. From the May article:
      “Chatting at the OIB 10th anniversary party Wednesday night in the Carousel Building of Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, where horses go ’round and ’round, former City Councilman Bob “Troll” Walsh who knows all about city political races peered across the room at a grizzled political horse, clipboard in hand, politely asking Democratic guests if they’d sign his petition sheet to place his name on the ballot for governor. “I gotta tell ya,” observes Walsh, “he’s got big ones.” Yes, I respond, “Joe doesn’t lack for cashews.” http://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/ganims-big-ones-has-people-talking-nerdy-ned-versus-lunch-bucket-joe/

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  3. I spent the entire weekend canvassing.

    I honestly didn’t find one voter that was really enthusiastic about Joe Ganim. I simply start by stating you only have two choices for Governor on August 14th, Joe Ganim or Ned Lamont. What are your thoughts on these two candidates? From there I am able to focus my rap.

    The tax increase still has quite a few residents angry with Joe Ganim. I definitely connect Ganim to Donald Trump by his attendance at Trump’s inauguration, stating he thought Donald Trump was “a good guy”, refusing to designate Bridgeport as a sanctuary city and his holding a fundraiser at Trump Towers. It definitely works with minority voters. They are pretty appalled.

    I definitely communicate he has proposed three consecutive budgets with ZERO dollars for our 21,000 students which is 90% minority. Joe Ganim perpetuates the school-to-prison pipeline.

    I close with we have to vote for Ned Lamont because if Joe Ganim is the democratic nominee that faces a republican nominee for governor; it will guarantee a republican governor. I make it clear that the vast majority of affluent suburban democrats will never vote for Joe Ganim in November. They will instead vote for the republican nominee.

    Voters get it!

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    1. Maria, I get the opposite response in and out of the city. People believe if Ned Lamont is elected he is another Malloy and that guarantees a Republican win. Either way , Ganim is the winner. Great responses in Norwalk and Westport. Ned Lamont is nowhere and Ganim people are everywhere. Lamont has the personality of Lint. Joe is a charismatic speaker. I guess after the first debate and news cycle people will decide. Joe will definitely win Bridgeport, New Haven and Hartford. There is little passion for voting so I expect a low turn out. I expect Ned Lamont to work his ass off for Susan. I think Eva expects Lamont to be her boss. Eva has the best shot by aligning with Joe. They both appear on Row B. If Eva is not pushing for Row B and Ganim is not mentioning Ganim than it coud end up being Ganim and Susan. OMG.

      For the record , I support Eva but only talking about Joe until they realize that United they stand- Divided they’ll fall.

      I think Lamont will have to walk again with Marilyn Moore because everyone knows she speaks for her community and will deliver the votes. 🙂

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      1. It’s laughable you believe Ganim, a convicted felon and disbarred attorney, is going to appeal to educated professional suburbanites. He may have charisma but it doesn’t hide the slime. Lamont is going to best your bromance in the primary.

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  4. Joe Ganim: So John, what‘s The first thing I should do once I become Governor?
    John Rowland: Get yourself a Lake House!
    Joe G.: Should it have 8 toilets?
    John R.: No Joe, 9!
    Joe G.: With-matching plungers.
    John G. You owe it to yourself Joe!
    Joe G. I need a good man like you, someone who thinks out of the box.
    John Rowland:
    Please let’s not mention box, it makes my skin crawl.

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  5. The smart money would have side-stepped the rigged,(UN)Democratic State Central Committee primary process, with its anointed candidates, and gone right to November, in a much more efficient, statement-making, independent bid… Probably too late to change horses now… Similarly with the R’s — David Walker should have made that gambit… Now the R’s can only offer the Connecticut Key Stone Cops comedy troupe to the state… So in the Fall, we’ll likely only have ICE is Nice! Boughton from Danbury, vs. I Love Bridgeport! (as long as it commutes home at night…) Lamont from (bow your head and genuflect…) Greenwich. (Idea for a new Connecticut-based soap opera; “As the Economy Shrinks…”)

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    1. The Connecticut Republican Party is a white political party and it doesn’t care anything about cities like Bridgeport, New Haven and Hartford. There is no outreach to people of color and they really don’t want their vote.

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  6. What universe am I in? Seriously? I have the “white Hebrew” who’s saying united we stand divided we fall. but I’m only supporting Joe. The dynamic Afrocentric duo Ron saying the Republican Party is a white political party that doesn’t care about people of color, while Day’s saying Black people will never vote for Puerto Rican and white people love black Marilyn Moore. People do you like, read the BS that comes out of your mouths. 🙂 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzlG28B-R8Y 🙂

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    1. Robert, The White Hebrew? Where did that come from- Perhaps yu didn’t understand my commentary so let me be clear- I am voting for the Puerto Rican 🙂 . Until she and joe join forces, I am only promoting Joe Ganim- I will vote for Eva. If they Join Forces I will be asking voters to support the dream team Joe and Eva. I can vote for a candidate – Eva has my vote. I have told her that. While campaigning I am asking people to support Ganim. I will ask them to support Eva when she wakes up realizes aligning with Ganim makes them stronger– Calling me the White Hebrew is beyond reprehensible. I just thought you should know that just short of calling you an idiot. I never vote for race or color. If so I’d be voting for Susan.

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  7. Marathon Man:
    How much Ganim has left in the bank isn’t half as important as how much Ganim has left in the tank.
    That’s where his ambition is bottomless. Lamont will run out of money before Ganim runs out of gas.

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