Big Wave For Malloy

State Rep. Chris Caruso today endorsed former Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy for governor setting up a showdown between supporters of Malloy and his Democratic gubernatorial opponent Ned Lamont for primary votes in the state’s largest city.

Oh what fun as we head toward Tsunami Tuesday Aug. 10. Caruso, the Big Wave, on the same side with former Party Chair John Stafstrom (they haven’t always been buds) against current Party Chair Mario Testa and Mayor Bill Finch who support Lamont. But it’s much more than that.

Caruso’s endorsement of  Malloy brings along company, State Rep. Jack Hennessy, a Caruso ally from the North End.

Why Malloy? Caruso likes Lamont personally, and talked to him about the endorsement decision Tuesday night, but Malloy’s embrace of Connecticut’s public financing system that is a hallmark Caruso-supported legislation is among several reasons tipping Caruso to Malloy. In addition, many union leaders who have supported Caruso in the past are supporting Malloy. Caruso also likes the fact that Malloy, as former mayor of a Connecticut city, is an experienced governmental chief executive. Malloy also spoke out against Governor Jodi Rell’s proposal to build a juvenile detention center for girls in a residential area of the Upper East Side, something Caruso railed against that led to Rell reversing her decision.

Now let’s get to the personalities. Is Testa’s and Finch’s support for Lamont a factor? Caruso has a history of traveling to the beat of his own political bongo. The Big Wave lost a close Democratic mayoral primary to Finch in 2007, they’ve never been close and never will be close. Testa and Caruso have been at war for 25 years. There are days when Mario pounds his morning veal into thin slices for a lunch serving in his Madison Avenue restaurant that he imagines himself  the mallet and Caruso the meat. 

On several  occasions Testa has gotten his butt kicked by Caruso when Mario sponsored candidates to challenge his legislative seat. In return Caruso came up short against Testa-backed candidates for mayor.

What does this all mean? Caruso brings votes in what’s expected to be a low-turnout primary. Caruso’s support for Malloy, at least as it applies to Mario, is a line in the sand. Mario does not want to be embarrassed on primary day after expending so much energy and political stature on Lamont. Testa doesn’t like Caruso but he respects Caruso’s vote base. Mario and Finch are betting that Lamont’s wealth will carry him through the primary and a general election victory that will benefit the city, and jobs for Mario’s peeps (and maybe Finch). 

Is it all about money? No Democratic candidate for governor has ever spent, albeit most of it his own money, the fortune Lamont’s willing to allocate to the primary. Despite this, Malloy, following the public financing route, is still very much in the game. Now think of it this way: suppose Malloy wins the primary and becomes governor?

Caruso will be Finch’s largest threat to reelection in 2011. Dan Malloy supported Finch for mayor in 2007 and even raised him money. Finch was not exactly reciprocal.

Caruso announced his support of Malloy this afternoon at 1 on the Virginia Avenue state property where Rell had proposed the girls’ prison.

From Dan Malloy:

Dan Malloy, the Democratic Party’s endorsed candidate for Governor, today received the endorsements of State Representatives Christopher Caruso (D-Bridgeport) and Jack Hennessy (D-Bridgeport) in his bid for Governor. Malloy, Caruso and Hennessy met this afternoon at the Virginia Avenue state property in Bridgeport where Gov. Rell had proposed a new detention center for girls. All have been outspoken in their opposition to Rell’s plans.

In endorsing Malloy, Caruso pointed to the former Mayor’s “years of experience in growing jobs, lowering crime, improving education, and proposing honest, balanced budgets.”

“The challenges facing Connecticut and Bridgeport are immense and require hard working, tried and true leadership,” said Caruso. “I went through a thoughtful process in deciding on who to support for governor at this critical time in our history. I started out looking for the best and I found it in former Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy. He has the proven competence, compassion, experience and leadership skills needed to guide our state out of the current crisis and into rapid job creation and lasting prosperity. As we move forward, we need the best in Hartford and that’s Governor Dan Malloy.”

Caruso also commented on the misguided plans for a detention center in Bridgeport, saying, “When the state wanted to put a juvenile jail in this family oriented neighborhood, Dan Malloy stood up, stepped in and helped us when we needed it, and Dan assures me that as Governor he will order DPW to clean-up the demolition mess it left behind that continues to blight our neighborhood and create a safety hazard for our children.”

Added Hennessy: “Dan has closed the gap in this race, and in doing so he’s proven that it’s not about who has the most money, but who has the best experience for the job. In Dan’s 14 years as mayor, he demonstrated that he has the leadership skills Connecticut desperately needs. He’ll be ready to take charge immediately and start getting the state back on course.”

Malloy said he was grateful for the strong vote of confidence.

Said Malloy, “I’m honored to have Chris and Jack’s support, and to have the support of so many hardworking people throughout Bridgeport. As the former Mayor of a large city, I have a real understanding of how important our urban centers are, and how badly they’ve been underserved by recent Governors. I’m looking forward to partnering with Bridgeport, its city leaders, and its residents as Governor.