Pledging that a decision about officially running for governor will likely be made by “early next year,” Greenwich resident Ned Lamont is already laying out a platform based around economics and giving every indication he will be part of a now wide open race.
Earlier this month, Mr. Lamont, who stunned the political world in 2006 by defeating Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) in the Democratic primary before losing to him in a three-way race, announced he is considering throwing his hat in the ring for governor in 2010 and had formed an exploratory committee.
And just after news of Mr. Lamont’s possible entry had settled, Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell announced last week that she would not be running again for another term. While Ms. Rell’s popularity had slipped recently, she continues to have strong approval numbers and the announcement was seen as a surprise. The decision now leaves a wide open field for both parties to try and take advantage.
Mr. Lamont spoke to the Post last Thursday and said he wouldn’t take long to decide whether to turn his exploration into an official run for governor. Putting “early next year” as his timeline for a decision, Mr. Lamont said he feels he has to get involved to try and turn the state around.
“I feel very strongly that Connecticut needs a strong governor to shake up the status quo in Hartford and get the state going again in creating new jobs,” Mr. Lamont said.
Mr. Lamont said he has been out talking to people in the state and that he would continue to do so before making any decision. He said he is effectively reintroducing himself to voters after his 2006 run for the Senate and showing voters his goals in that campaign were not just to speak out in opposition to the Iraq War, which was a major focus of his primary victory over Mr. Lieberman. Mr. Lamont opposed the war and Mr. Lieberman strongly supported it.
“Three years ago this was more than just a one-issue campaign,” Mr. Lamont said. “I ran because I felt that our government was not being governed well. That’s how I feel about the state now. Three years ago, we wanted to challenge the idea of politics as usual, and to get Connecticut moving in the right direction we need to do it again.”
Mr. Lamont criticized the recently passed state budget, saying it is loaded with debt and that the state put itself in deficit before the document was signed. Mr. Lamont praised Ms. Rell for her years of service in a statement released after her announcement, but added, “Too many of our state’s families are hurting, too many of our problems are left unsolved and now is the time for a fresh start.”
Cast of candidates
If he does choose to run, Mr. Lamont could join a field of candidates that would include outgoing Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy, who did not run for a new term this year, and Connecticut Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz, both Democrats. Neither have officially launched a campaign. Milford resident James Amann, a former speaker of the state House, is the only Democrat officially in the race.
Ridgefield First Selectman Rudy Marconi has also shown interest in the race and could seek the Democratic nomination.
On the Republican side, Lt. Gov. Mike Fedele has already said he will seek his party’s nomination and State Rep. Lawrence Cafero (R-142), who serves as the state House minority leader, formed an exploratory committee before Ms. Rell’s announcement.
Democrat Richard Blumenthal, also a Greenwich resident, said last week he would not run for governor and would instead run for another term as state attorney general.
A Quinnipiac University poll released on Nov. 10 found Ms. Bysiewicz leading Mr. Lamont 26% to 23%, a deficit within the poll’s margin of error, and Mr. Malloy polling at 9%. Mr. Amann was at 3% in the poll, which showed a large number of voters left undecided.
The poll was taken before Ms. Rell’s announcement dramatically shifted the race. Despite her own popularity slipping recently, Ms. Rell was still polled as the likely victor in races against Mr. Lamont, Mr. Malloy and Ms. Bysiewicz, with Ms. Bysiewicz having the best numbers against her, but still trailing by six points.
Mr. Lamont told the Post that Ms. Rell’s decision not to run again will have no impact on his own choice about entering the race. He said he only wanted to make his own interest clear before she made an announcement on her own political future. The founder and owner of Campus Televideo as well as a former member of Greenwich’s Board of Selectmen and Board of Estimate and Taxation, Mr. Lamont said he felt his qualifications in the business world would allow him to stand out from the other candidates if he ran.
“I’m the only one who can say they’ve created a job,” Mr. Lamont said. “I’ve started a business in a state that’s dead last in creating new jobs and starting new businesses. That’s why we’re fighting over smaller and smaller pieces of the economic pie in Connecticut. That’s where we need to institute change and I believe I can bring a different perspective to the table.”
Mr. Lieberman’s recent vow to filibuster any health care reform bill that includes a public option has put him out of favor with progressive Democratic voters. A Research 2000 poll commissioned by the liberal site DailyKos.com showed 68% of likely voters favor the public option. Among Democrats, supporters were polled at 83% in favor, 8% against; among independents those figures were 73% to 15%; and among Republicans, 33% polled in favor and 55% against.
Backing those statistics, an article on the Quinnipiac University Web site quotes poll director Doug Schwartz as saying “a plurality of Connecticut voters like President Obama’s health care plan and by a wide margin trust Obama more than the Republicans to handle the issue.”
While Mr. Lieberman’s sentiment toward the public option could potentially make him ripe for defeat in 2012 if he runs for another term, Mr. Lamont said he is not considering a rematch. He said his attention is squarely focused on the state.
“I’ve always been a hands-on executive and the opportunity to take a leadership position in the state of Connecticut when it is in a crisis right now is something that I want to explore very carefully,” Mr. Lamont said. “I think there will be plenty of Democrats wanting to take on Joe Lieberman in three years. That’s not my life’s ambition.”
by Ken Borsuk
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