Democrats and Republicans will convene this weekend to endorse candidates for constitutional offices. Dems will endorse Governor Ned Lamont for another four-year term. The looming question, will Josh Elliott secure enough delegate support to qualify for an August primary?
If so will that rally additional dollars to qualify for millions in public campaign cash.
The GOP enters its convention on the heels of a whirlwind week with once front runner for the gubernatorial endorsement Erin Stewart canning her campaign following revelations she fleeced, when mayor, New Britain taxpayers a boatload of money to finance her personal lifestyle. State and federal criminal investigations are underway.
Republican State Senator Ryan Fazio will now be tapped to lead the ticket.
State party conventions can bulge capricious moments. This a good time to reminisce about the afternoon in 1994, when Democratic Town Chair Mario Testa drilled the state Democratic Party bosses.
In 1994 Joe Ganim, in his second term as mayor, was a candidate for governor. Joe got into the race after Governor Lowell Weicker, who had helped bail out the city from fiscal hell, decided not to seek reelection. The campaign was cash rich and delegate poor so when making the ballot wasn’t in the cards for Joe (you could not petition your way on back then), Joe backed out of the race one week before the Democratic convention throwing his support behind likely endorsed candidate State Senate leader John Larson (today Congressman Larson) with the hope he’d select Joe as his running mate.
During the Democratic convention in Hartford, as Larson’s boys including Senate Majority Leader William DiBella pondered selection of the second slot, a contingent of Connecticut mayors who wanted one of their own on the ticket adjourned to a watering hole in the Hartford Civic Center, among them Hartford Mayor Mike Peters and Waterbury Mayor Ed Bergin as well as Mario and Ganim.
Mayor Mike and Mayor Ed were lubing up the joint. They were feeling pretty good. Finally the call came. Larson had made his decision. They all squeezed into a conference room while delegates in the civic center convention hall waited for an answer.
Larson, facing dozens of Democratic big shots, announced, “I think it’s time to embrace Rich Balducci,” he told the crowd. Balducci, a long-time legislator, had also been a candidate for governor. Emerging from a back room thumping his chest, Balducci announced, “I want everyone to know that I’ll be running as an independent lieutenant governor,” suggesting he’d take the second slot but he’d not be breaking his ass for the ticket. Balducci had also given his word to State Comptroller Bill Curry, the other Dem guber candidate in the race, that he would not work against him.
The place was in stunned silence. This is the person Larson chose? Mario would have none of it. The little man with big ones edged closer to Balducci. “Wait a minute, Mr. Balducci,” drawing out the political leader’s name in his Italian accent, “you telling us you’re notta gonna support Larson?”
Balducci stammered on his words. In a flash there was chaos.
“What the fuck is going on around here!” Mayor Peters screamed.
“Yeah, what the fuck is this!” Mayor Bergin yelled.
Peters walked up to Larson and declared: “We’re going to settle this right now.”
Peters, Bergin and New Haven Mayor John DeStefano circled with Ganim. “Joe,” Peters asked, “do you want to be lieutenant governor?”
Joe nodded yes.
“That settles it,” Bergin chimed in.
The mayors walked up to Larson and said “Enough of this horseshit, Joe’s gonna be the candidate.” So it was done. That’s how 34-year-old Joe Ganim became the candidate for lieutenant governor in 1994. It didn’t work out. Larson lost the primary to Bill Curry and Curry lost the general election (with Joe as his running mate) to John Rowland.
For Mario, however, that afternoon in the cramped room was political bliss. So the next time you’re in Mario’s restaurant, ask him about the 1994 gubernatorial convention and he will crack a Kermit smile.
Lennie,
Respectfully, thank you for another narrative history lesson about the practices of “urban politics” more than 30 years ago. You are in a unique position as story teller about days past and promoter of days into the future from both politics and governance structure perspective. Where is the history of why and how the overall number of citizens registered to vote has decreased in municipal elections to the teens or fewer? How has indifference to expressing the desire for “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” provision of the Declaration of Independence 250 years ago descended to this level?
Another Casual Civics Conversation is scheduled for Saturday, May 16, at 8AM at Wood’s End Deli. Small gatherings. Ask a question about Bridgeport practices or process. Listen for info that may be new to your ears. Listen to a Council person, one-to-one. Time will tell.