Lamont, Malloy

Favored By Local Voters

By John Voket

In a hotly-contested political primary that was covered by Al-Jazeera television and a national community of bloggers, nearly 50 percent of the registered Democrats in Newtown joined with the majority of party voters across the state in sending three-term Senator Joseph Lieberman packing this week. Local voters also supported the unsuccessful candidacy of Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy, who conceded the gubernatorial challenge to opponent John DeStefano, the mayor of New Haven.

About 90 minutes after Newtown’s four precincts closed on August 8, Town Clerk Cynthia Simon announced that Fairfield County millionaire Ned Lamont had overcome the incumbent locally by a margin of 290 votes. While the margin was significantly less in the gubernatorial primary, locally Mr Malloy was chosen over Mr DeStefano by a 135-vote margin.

Statewide, Mr DeStefano won the gubernatorial primary over Mr Malloy, the party-endorsed candidate, by approximately 2,000 votes.

In an odd twist to the campaign, Connecticut Democrats chose Mr Malloy’s running mate, Mary Messina Glassman, for lieutenant governor over Mr DeStefano’s partner, Scott Slifka. Ms Glassman captured more than 57 percent of the vote statewide to Mr Slifka’s 43 percent.

Mr Malloy praised his former running mate.

“[Ms Glassman] has comported herself as a true professional,” he said. “She deserves all the credit, which should go to someone who has done what she’s done tonight. I’m very proud of her.”

Ms Glassman also emerged victorious in primary voting in Newtown by a 284-vote margin.

The numbers in the Newtown precincts were: Mr Malloy’s 893 to Mr DeStefano’s 758, and Mr Lamont’s 1,066 to Sen Lieberman’s 776. Ms Glassman won 816 votes to lieutenant governor challenger Scott Slifka’s 532.

Despite Sen Lieberman’s loss to Mr Lamont in Tuesday’s primary, the Associated Press reported that Connecticut Democrats presented a unified front when they unveiled the party’s ticket for the November election at a news conference in Hartford on Wednesday.

Prior to that event, Nancy DiNardo, the party chairwoman, admitted she had supported Sen Lieberman. But she vowed if Mr Lamont, a political newcomer, won the primary, she would back him in the general election.

“I know what my role is,” Ms DiNardo said. “As state party chairman, it’s my job to elect Democrats and I endorsed the party-endorsed candidate at the convention and I’ll be endorsing the winners of the primary.”

Sen Lieberman filed the paperwork for his independent reelection bid with Connecticut’s secretary of state Wednesday morning. He subsequently dismissed his campaign staff, saying he had not been aggressive enough in countering Lamont during the primary.

“The bottom line is that I’m definitely in,” Sen Lieberman told the AP Wednesday. “While I consider myself a devoted Democrat, I am even more devoted to my state and my country. I think it would be irresponsible and inconsistent with my principles if I were to just walk off the field.”

Ms DiNardo acknowledged Sen Lieberman’s loss would be awkward for many Democrats. Most of the state’s high-profile Democrats, such as US Senator Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), publicly and actively supported Mr Lieberman in his primary battle.

The day after Sen Lieberman’s defeat, Sen Dodd endorsed Mr Lamont at the press conference in Hartford with the statewide Democratic ticket. He did not, however, demand that Sen Lieberman abandon his petitioning candidacy.

“I regret the decision he’s made,” Sen Dodd said. “He has a right to make it, but we stand here as a united party. The issue is the message out of this campaign.”

Ms DiNardo said she would ask Sen Lieberman, a three-term incumbent wounded by his support for the war in Iraq, to give up.

Mr Lamont, a former Greenwich selectman and founder of a cable television company, hammered Sen Lieberman throughout the primary campaign for his support of the Iraq war and accused him of being too close to President Bush and Republicans.

Aside from Mr Lamont, state Democrats will have to embrace the another primary winner they did not endorse in the May nominating convention: Mr DeStefano. Mr DeStefano now faces popular Republican Governor M. Jodi Rell in November.

“I think what has happened in these two races is there have been a number of people who have been very passionate,” Ms DiNardo said. “It’s the people involved in the campaigns, but I’m hoping that the average Democrat will be able to realize how important it is that we elect Democrats on November 7.”

In the days before his loss, Sen Lieberman tried to avoid talking about his possible independent campaign, telling reporters he still hoped to defeat Mr Lamont given new poll numbers that showed he had cut into his challenger’s lead.

Last week, New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg, who campaigned by Sen Lieberman’s side days earlier, suggested that his colleague drop plans to run as an independent if he loses by a wide margin.

“I think he has to take a look at what reality is,” said Sen Lautenberg.

This sentiment was echoed locally by Newtown First Selectman Herb Rosenthal, who also serves as the president of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities.

“The voters have spoken,” Mr Rosenthal said. “The Democratic Party has been good to Sen Lieberman, and I hope he won’t seek to divide the party by running as an independent.”

Mr Rosenthal said he knew the Senator was disappointed in the defeat, but hoped Mr Lieberman would put the best interests of the Democratic Party above his own.

“An independent candidate in the mix in November could create a greater likelihood of a GOP victory,” Mr Rosenthal cautioned.

Sen Lautenberg had said he would switch his allegiance if Mr Lamont prevailed in the primary. New York Senator Hillary Clinton made a similar statement.

According to the AP, Mr Lamont’s Senate campaign was energized by members of the online community during his five-month campaign, so they were duly rewarded with rare media access at the challenger’s primary night party in Meriden Tuesday.

About 30 bloggers set up shop in their own press room to cover the challenger’s campaign, which was supported by many liberal bloggers who helped Mr Lamont raise money and saw the race as their best chance to take a bigger role in the Democratic Party.

But bloggers were far from the only ones interested in the Connecticut primary.

The race between Sen Lieberman and his upstart challenger drew interest well beyond US boundaries. Al-Jazeera television, the Arabic news channel with 40 million worldwide viewers, also covered the race.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.