Up until she learned that Connecticut's incumbent Democratic Secretary of the State (SOTS) Denise Merrill had committed to running for another term, Newtown resident and former Legislative Council representative Eva Bermudez Zimmerman said she would be interested in campaigning for that position on this November's statewide ballot.The Newtown Bee this week that she is more energized than ever to enter a primary and let Connecticut's Democratic voters decide who will best serve their party in the number two executive seat.Newtown BeeCheck next week'sMs Bermudez Zimmerman's website.

But with SOTS Merrill's decision to run for reelection cemented, Ms Bermudez Zimmerman set her sights on another statewide post - lieutenant governor.

Although state Democrats appear to be supporting the gubernatorial campaign of Ned Lamont and his chosen LG running mate, Susan Bysiewicz, Ms Bermudez Zimmerman told 

She explained that when a number of possible Democratic hopefuls for the governor's seat learned Ms Bermudez Zimmerman was not planning to primary the incumbent SOTS, they began reaching out and asking her to consider running for lieutenant governor.

"I was asked about a month ago by one candidate, and then another, and then two additional candidates reached out to me letting me know I was on their short list [of running mates]," she said.

Ms Bermudez Zimmerman said while she could have begun the process of trying to get on the ballot a month ago as a LG contender unattached to any specific front runner for the governor's ballot slot, she decided to ultimately do what would be best for future constituents.

"If I wanted to go with ego, I could have gotten on the ballot a month ago," she said. "But the correct decision, and why I'm running, is to be a candidate who talks about the issues, and making sure this election and why I'm in the race is not about ego."

As a result of pledging to be an issues-oriented contender, Ms Bermudez Zimmerman said she enjoyed a lot of support from fellow party members.

"I got into this race because there were not enough people saying what I wanted to hear as a voter," she said. "I wouldn't have gotten as far as I did if I wasn't true to that cause. And now that I've transitioned to the LG race from Secretary of the State, I'm confident I've made headway by talking about the needs of working class people, talking about how as a state we're divided with [some] people focusing on losing money [allocated] for the inner cities and losing money for communities like Newtown."

She said where people live should not be a factor when Connecticut is facing such astronomical future budgetary deficits.

"We have spent every single year trying to fix that gap, but we're not helping the constituency by defunding things like Husky health care for families, or finding money to support new businesses and entrepreneurs. So that's why I got in," she said.

Ms Bermudez Zimmerman said she planned to head into the state Democratic convention this weekend confident that whatever happens is in the hands of the delegates, rather than aligning herself with a specific candidate.

"I've been rallying my delegate votes as a standalone candidate, and reminding them that the top role of the LG, after stepping in if something happens to the governor, is making sure there is a [Democratic] tie-breaker in the event of a tied vote in the state senate, and making sure the executive branch is representing all of Connecticut," she said. "I know I can be that ambassador to the residents of Connecticut, and I know my supporters see that and believe in me as a champion for the people."

She said going into the primary in August, it is not critical to be somebody's running mate.

"If Democratic voters choose me in the primary, I would transition into the running mate for the winner of the primary for governor," she said. "It's happened before with Mary Glassman when she was chosen by voters to be the running mate with former New Haven mayor John DeStefano, when the convention pick did not win the primary. So there is precedent there. I wish things could be a little more clear coming into a general election, but there's so much up in the air right now with both the Democratic and Republican parties."

Saturday, May 19, will be the day she learns whether she will be the favored candidate of statewide delegates, or whether she will need to switch gears and mount her own stand-alone campaign for the state's number two seat.

Ms Bermudez Zimmerman said she has not considered walking away if she is not endorsed by the party at the nominating convention, and she does not see herself accepting some alternate consolation ballot position for an elected office other than lieutenant governor.

  for a follow-up report on the state Democratic nominating convention outcomes, and how Ms Bermudez Zimmerman will proceed in her pursuit of the lieutenant governor seat.

If she moves forward regardless of the nomination outcome, she will be the second Newtown resident vying for that position. Local resident and attorney Monte Frank is the chosen lieutenant governor running mate of Independent gubernatorial hopeful Oz Griebel.

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