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Former state Senator Don Williams, who became president pro tempore of the Connecticut legislature’s upper chamber after former Governor John Rowland resigned in disgrace in 2004, was in a serious motor vehicle collision on Friday, January 11th. Williams did not seek re-election in 2014, after more than 20 years of service.

The Brooklyn Democrat is a patient at UMass Memorial Medical Center. You may send him your good wishes at this address: Don Williams, Room 434, UMass Memorial Medical Center, University Campus, 55 Lake Avenue, Worcester, MA 01655.

State Representative Jeff Currey (D-East Hartford) will stay in the House. The popular Democrat will not seek the state Senate seat incumbent Timothy Larson is abandoning to take a job in the Lamont administration.

Public financing of political campaigns has become an expensive supplement to fundraising from lobbyists and their clients. The explosion of legislators maintaining ongoing political committees comes into full view today and tomorrow as public officials seek to tap a gusher of lobbyist contributions before the Wednesday ban begins with the opening of the legislative session.

The ongoing legislative political committees had been limited to three in each of the four caucuses. While public financing costs continue to grow–though the amount one needs to raise to qualify remains the same–the number of Democrats maintaining ongoing political committees financed by fundraising events fueled by lobbyist contributions has exploded.

It’s an issue that requires further examination.

Former gang member and Joe Lieberman loyalist Eddie Perez will attempt to seize the crown he was charged corrupting his office. The former mayor and shakedown artist is expected to challenge first term mayor Luke Bronin.

Perez will seek to become mayor of the city he is suing for hundreds of thousands in defense fees, though he was convicted of public corruption.

Perez and Bronin are said to have had a tense encounter about the challenge today.

Bronin won a narrow primary victory over incumbent Democrat Pedro Segarra in their 2015 face-off. Bronin struggled in this year’s Democratic nomination contest for governor. The Greenwich native abandoned his bid before the state convention.

The permanent financial wrecking ball that is Ben Barnes refuses to go away. The departing Malloy budget director and tax increase whisperer is headed to the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system as its chief financial officer.

State Senator George Logan, the Republican in the 17th District has taken the lead as ballots continue to be counted in his close race for a second term. Logan had been declared the loser but on Thursday an error in reporting the count was found that put him in the lead.

Updates as they occur.

Self-funder Bob Stefanowski’s cupboard may be bare. The Republican nominee for governor’s wife Amy sent an email to prospective contributors announcing that if the campaign does not raise $10,000 pronto–by Monday night–its current ad will have to come off the air.

This is what doubters during the primary campaign dreaded. Stefanowski would spend a couple of million to win the party nomination but not have the far greater personal resources to underwrite the fall campaign against wealthy Greenwich Democrat Ned Lamont. Their fears appear to be coming true a month after the August 14th primary.

Stefanowski needs to be commanding the airwaves but cannot compete with Lamont’s fortune. The Madison Republican has no natural fundraising base in the party–he was a Democrat as recently as 2017–and won the nomination by highlighting his disdain of party regulars, the people who often raise campaign contributions.

There’s always the pawn shop. Stefanowski has plenty of experience with those.

Republican Bob Stefanowski has won the Independent Party nomination today with 43 votes. Oz Griebel won 14 votes, Mark Lauretti garnered a forlorn 5 votes.

Lauretti endorsed Stefanowski in the Republican primary competition after failing to collect the signatures necessary to win a place on the August 14th ballot. The Shelton mayor decided to make one more bid for higher office with the Independent Party as his vessel.

Ructions readers, please join me tonight on WFSB.com at 8:30 pm for the start of primary night coverage. Switch to WFSB on the air at 10 pm for a comprehensive primary night special.

State Representative Matt Lesser (D-Middletown) opposes fracking for energy until it fills his privileged pockets. That’s the primary campaign tale 9th Senate District endorsed candidate state Representative Tony Guerrera (D-Rocky Hill) wants voters to remember as the head to the polls Tuesday. Lesser has opposed fracking in Connecticut but is happy to invest in companies that do profit from the controversial method of extracting oil and gas from the ground, according to Guerrera.

Guerrera is the endorsed candidate in the contest to fill the seat of incumbent state Senator Paul Doyle (D-Wethersfield), who is running for attorney general.

‘The district includes Cromwell, Newington, Rocky Hill and parts of Wethersfield and Middletown.