It’s Fedele-Boughton

Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton is expected to drop his campaign for governor on Monday to become Lieutenant Governor Michael Fedele’s running mate.  With balloting for the Republican nomination for governor to take place on Saturday, May 22nd, the flagging Fedele campaign needs a boost to remain competitive with former Ambassador Tom Foley, the frontrunner in the race.  Boughton could provide it.

The selection of Boughton, who has attracted the enthusiastic support of at least 15% of the delegates to the convention, ought to help Fedele avoid a humiliating result at the convention–if Boughton’s delegates move with him.  Danbury has 28 delegates.  There are 1462 delegates to the convention, which will take place in Hartford at the Connecticut Convention Center.

Fedele was not the only candidate thought to have wanted Boughton to join him as running mate.

Boughton made many friends during his candidacy for the state’s top job.  His exit from the race provides a reminder that a candidate running for statewide office for the first time is at a serious disadvantage without access to a personal fortune.  The state’s public financing scheme requirement that a candidate raise $250,000 in contributions of $100 or less is proving to be an impossible hurdle for every candidate but Democrat Dan Malloy–and even he struggled in his second bid for governor to reach the threshold.

Nevertheless, Boughton brought energy, personality, and relevant experience to a Republican race that has otherwise been a dreary bobbing and weaving around unpleasant truths and Governor M. Jodi Rell’s failure to tame state spending policies.