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At last, a Trumbull Republican tells her story. Cindy Penkoff pens a powerful letter for the Trumbull Times. It’s an unvarnished reckoning of Republican Tim Herbst’s vengeful tenure as first selectman. Penkoff, who writes that she was once Herbst’s friends, observes, “The similarities to [Governor Dannel P.] Malloy are glaring.”

The letter deserves a close reading. Here are two chilling paragraphs:

I am a former alternate member of the Board of Finance, appointed by First Selectman Herbst, and a former elected member of the Town Council who ran on his ticket. I’ve worked with Herbst on town issues as a board and commission member and, at one time, was a friend to him. I can say unequivocally that he is not prepared to run a $20 billion-plus enterprise called the State of Connecticut. He does not have the vision or the emotional maturity to lead 3.5 million people to prosperity.

From his dictatorial management style, to questionable financial decisions and land deals. His temper when it comes to criticism from friend and foe. And his vindictive moral, ethical and questionable legal tactics when it comes to contacting employers of dissidents, otherwise known as the bully factor, does not make me feel comfortable giving him that level of authority.

Republicans vote in their party primary a week from today. The race for governor features no clear frontrunner.

That most insider of insiders, Republican National Committeewoman Leora Levy, has endorsed Thad Gray in next Tuesday’s primary for state treasurer. Levy had intended to refrain from endorsing candidates in any contest this summer. She is making an exception for Gray, who won the party endorsement at the May nominating convention. Levy writes in her endorsement that the stakes for Connecticut high and Gray has the experience as a financial investment professional to do the job.

A stand alone endorsement is never enough this close to a primary. Levy writes that challenger Art Linares has no experience in private sector money management. The Greenwich Republican discloses she encouraged shoreline state senator to run for lieutenant governor when that appeared to be his 2018 path upward.

This has the look of a circular firing squad. Trumbull Republican Tim Herbst–the candidate with the busy hair trigger temper–has been portraying himself as a ferocious opponent of gun control. The mask slipped in the mail. Herbst must not see the state’s laws regulating the possession of fire arms as draconian. The former first selectman is touting former state Senator John McKinney’s endorsement of his candidacy. McKinney was the leading Republican advocate of the state’s new gun control law in the aftermath of the 2012 Sandy Hook shootings.

McKinney is not the only Republican to have supported what most people see as sensible restrictions on the proliferation of weapons. Gun control opponents worked to make McKinney an example of their wrath in his 2014 bid for the Republican nomination for governor against Tom Foley. McKinney won 44.5% of the primary vote against Foley, the party endorsed candidate and 2010 nominee.

These sorts of endorsements by one candidate accepting public funds of another candidate accepting public funds. The State Elections Enforcement Commission (SEEC) can view these as contributions, not as protected free speech under the First Amendment. The commission seems eager to enforce their objection to the First Amendment against Republicans.

Wolcott Democrat Jahana Hayes is in the field with a poll. The Fifth District Democrat is asking registered Democrats their view on her, opponent Mary Glassman, Ned Lamont, Joe Ganim, and Dan Malloy, Daily Ructions has learned. The survey, conducted by 20/20 Insight, also asks voters if they support ICE. Hayes also wants to know if voters support a Medicare buy-in option for healthcare. There are also mentions of Hayes’s stirring biography.

Hayes is also polling retiring U.S. Representative Elizabeth Esty’s favorables/unfavorable. Esty announced in spring she would not seek re-election to a fourth term after revelations she had ignored a violent sexual harassment and misconduct scandal in her office. She’s not made an endorsement in the race but her supporters remain miffed that Glassman began making calls about a run during the Esty crisis, before the reeling Democrat abandoned her doomed quest to cling to office.

Watch for Hayes to get a boost before the August 14th primary from A New Promise, an independent expenditure committee formed by affluent admirers.

Thaddeus Gray, the endorsed Republican for treasurer picks up an intriguing endorsement Tuesday morning. Former state Representative Michael Molgano, who represented Stamford in the House of Representatives from 2011 to 2015, has endorsed Gray.

Gray faces a challenge from state Senator Art Linares (R-Westbrook) in the August 14th primary. Linares is married to state Representative Caroline Simmons, a Democrat who defeated Molgano in 2014, not long after moving to Stamford.

In his endorsement, Molgano highlights Gray’s long experience in finance and suggests Republican primary voters not give the nomination as a reward for political service.

Republicans in Stamford cast more primary votes than almost any other of the state’s 169 towns. In 2014, it provided Heather Somers with a nearly 400 vote margin over her nearest competitor, by far Somers’ biggest local win outside of her hometown of Groton. She defeated her nearest competitor in the three-way race by 669 votes out of 78,000 in the low turnout primary.

The August 14th contest will be the fifth statewide Republican primary in the past 30 years.

Candidates often enjoy a boxing analogy. Those don’t look like they are Joe Ganim’s gloves. Nevertheless, there he is, getting ready to spar. Just like another elected official who scandal forced from office.

It could not have been Republican Steve Obsitnik’s goal, but he’s released a second ad that is worse than his terrible first one. It is hard to understand what has gone wrong with his promising campaign for governor.

This is a vivid argument for scrapping public financing of campaigns. No one who’d had to raise the money himself would have developed, recorded and released this ad.

They do like their tired horses. Democratic U.S. Representatives John Larson and Rosa DeLauro raised money for perennial candidate Mary Glassman’s 5th Congressional District campaign. U.S. Representative Joe Courtney and professor lobbyist Christopher Dodd (D-Roundstone) were also in attendance, Daily Ructions understands.

Glassman, who has run unsuccessfully for governor and lieutenant governor, faces dynamic Democrat and 2016 national teacher of the year Jahana Hayes in the August 14th primary.

Hayes is supported by U.S. Senator Christopher Murphy. The all-Democratic Connecticut congressional delegation is said to harbor some resentments against Murphy from his fast rise from House to Senate. Larson has been in the House since 1998, DeLauro since 1990. Both have endured many unhappy years in the minority.

Hayes, who grew up in a Waterbury housing project, would be the first black Democrat to serve in Congress from Connecticut. Republican Gary Franks was the first black elected to the House from the state. He served from 1991 to 1997. Glassman is white and from the tony Simsbury.

Hayes has faced and overcome obstacles a lot more formidable than the exclusive instincts of the DC branch of Connecticut’s Democratic insider’s club. Diversity is not its calling card.

U.S. Representative John Larson has endorsed veteran Democratic state Representative Tony Guerrera in the 9th SD August 14th primary. Guerrera, the party-endorsed candidate, faces challenger and House colleague Matthew Lesser, who also considered a bid for secretary of the state this year against incumbent Denise Merrill.

Guerrera, of Rocky Hill, has also received the joint endorsement of the last three Democrats to hold the five-town seat, Richard Balducci, Billy Ciotto and incumbent Paul Doyle. Doyle is not seeking re-election in order to run for attorney general. He’s also on the August 14th primary ballot.

Lesser, Daily Ructions understands, is looking for a big dog fish Democratic endorsement to counter Guerrera’s juggernaut of support from popular party figures. No volunteers so far.