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The great stab in the back will not go unanswered. The Saturday roll call for state treasurer at the Republican convention settled nothing. State Senator Art Linares (R-Westbrook) continues to raise money to qualify for public financing for his primary challenge to Salisbury investment pro Thaddeus Gray.

Gray eked out a close win over favorite Linares. The state senator and his campaign boosters are furious at unexpected votes cast for Gray by Danbury and Fairfield delegates.

Linares needs to raise $75,000 in contributions of no more than $100 each in order to qualify for the state’s campaign finance bonanza. Gray is not asking taxpayers to foot the bill for his campaign.

BRIDGEPORT — Bridgeport Mayor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Joe Ganim today issued the following statement on the announcement of a joint ticket between Ned Lamont and Susan Bysiewicz.

“Today’s announcement of a Lamont-Bysiewicz ticket changes nothing regarding our campaign.  With almost 8,500 signatures of voters in hand, it is clear we have the support of the people to be on the August Democratic primary ballot to fight for economic, political and social justice.

The people of Connecticut want change, not more of the same.

Our diverse and inclusive grassroots campaign has never been about top-down endorsements by party insiders or having the most money, but it has been about the passionate support of tens of thousands of Connecticut citizens who want a new Connecticut economy that works for everyone, not just a few.  It’s about fighting for working and middle class families who are struggling to keep their heads above water.

Having been honored by the people of Bridgeport with a second chance, it’s about making sure every Connecticut resident has at least a first chance to succeed.  Democratic voters deserve a real choice this August, and we will give it to them.”

Judge Jane Emons just wanted a vote in the House. That’s all she asked. Speaker of the House Joseph Aresimowicz responds to my recent column on the injustice visited upon Judge Jane Emons by Aresimowicz and State Representative William Tong (D-Stamford) with a letter to the editor.

The rank unfairness in this chilling episode was visited upon Judge Emons by Aresimowicz and Tong, not on them.

Susan Bysiewicz has sued for peace and will join Greenwich self-funder Ned Lamont as his running mate at this Saturday’s Democratic convention, Daily Ructions has learned.

Bysiewicz will abandon her third bid for governor and eighth run for statewide office to run with Lamont. Bysiewicz began the 2018 campaign cycle determined to run for the state Senate from Middletown-Meriden. She enlarged her exploratory committee to statewide office and then became a candidate for governor. The former secretary of the state and Chris Murphy antagonist struggled to raise the $250,000 required to qualify for public financing of her campaign and was unable to articulate a coherent message on what she would do as governor.

The second spot on the Democratic ticket will be a safe place for Bysiewicz to avoid a deep dive into the substance of the hard public policy choices facing Connecticut.

A shakeup on the Bob for Governor campaign. Veteran conservative campaign operative Tom Scott has left the self-funding Stefanowski campaign for governor. Scott had been a consultant on Stefanowski’s campaign since last fall. He’ll now devote his full measure to Joe Markley, the party endorsed candidate for lieutenant governor.

Scott and Markley were colleagues in the state Senate from 1985-1987.

Stefanowski is funding his own campaign and skipped the Republican nominating convention.

Mark Lauretti kept in reserve for a signature drive a significant chunk of the $250,000 he raised to qualify for public financing of his campaign for governor. It ought to be enough to get the Shelton mayor on the August primary ballot. Here’s the message he sent to supporters and others Monday morning:

Dear Delegate,

I wanted to thank you for your participation at the Republican convention this weekend.  While the results are not what we had hoped for, I could not have made it this far without you.  When I first announced and launched the Lauretti campaign for governor in April 2017, I knew I could never do this without the help from family and friends.  The past year has also allowed me to make so many new friends from around the state, and that is the best takeaway from this process so far!  While we came up short at the convention, I am determined to fight on.

It has been the honor of my life to serve as Mayor of the City of Shelton and I have always said if the people don’t want me, they won’t re-elect me.  After 27 years and 14 consecutive re-elections it’s safe to say that the people in Shelton are pretty happy with my job performance.

While Republican delegates took over 6 hours to endorse a candidate at the convention, ultimately registered Republican voters will decide our nominee for governor at the August 14th Primary.  I can assure you that my name will be on the primary ballot.

With your support on August 14th, we can make Connecticut affordable and prosperous.

I want to thank you again from the bottom of my heart.

Sincerely,

Mark Lauretti

Lauretti on the primary ballot could be a lethal threat to Trumbull Republican Tim Herbst, who ran second at last weekend’s Republican nominating convention. The Shelton mayor has many friends in Trumbull and there appears to be a segment of Trumbull Republicans who have been waiting for a secret ballot opportunity to strike at their local Republican Malloy.

Deborah Herbst, mother and active presence in the political life of her son, appears not to understand the primary process. She weighed in with a signature Herbst family taunt (see above) directed at Lauretti.

Lauretti is expected to be joined in the difficult petitioning process by two other Republican gubernatorial hopefuls, Bob Stefanowski and David Stemerman.

Republican delegates arrived at their Foxwoods nominating convention to find an attack from prolific texter Tim Herbst on rival Mark Boughton. The Danbury mayor is expected to outpace the controversial former first selectman of Trumbull in Saturday’s balloting for governor.

No word when the secret settlement in Jablon v. Herbst will make an appearance on delegate seats or elsewhere. That’s the lawsuit filed by Herbst’s brother-in-law accusing the litigious Republican of trying to deny him the ability to make a living in a bizarre, but not singular, family dispute.

The matter was resolved early this year.

Mary Glassman (sometimes aka Mary Messina Glassman when she runs for office outside Simsbury) is not happy with many of her fellow Democrats. The former Simsbury first selectman is finding the race for the Democratic nomination for Congress in the 5th CD a struggle. Condescension has not worked. Calling National Teacher of the Year Jahana Hayes a “shiny new toy” was not well-received by the party faithful. New Britain’s Manny Sanchez’s campaign is a reminder that Glassman is decades from her youth in the Hardware City with few ties to active local Democrats.

The generous  John Rowland campaign donor’s newest campaign renovation is to run as an outsider, the last ditch for the flailing hopeful. Glassman has run for statewide office three times, twice for lieutenant governor and once for governor. In 2006, the DeStefano/Glassman ticket won just 38% of the vote. Four years later, Glassman dropped her bid for governor and became Democrat Ned Lamont’s running mate, only to suffer a primary drubbing from Nancy Wyman. Glassman sought to portray Wyman as an aging relic, an ill-considered tactic that still evokes stinging comments.

There’s nothing fresh or new about Glassman. She has long been an insider with an eye for a public sector job that imposes few requirements of effort or scrupulous attendance. Glassman has enjoyed the privileges of an insider, including her most recent post as manager of CREC’s Orwellian Office of Regional Efficiencies. She’s been working the Penske file for years.

Time’s cruel cull has made Glassman a distant figure, one who’s future is all behind her after three unsuccessful bids for statewide office and a succession of public sector safe harbors. The candidate whose calling card was “someone fresh” is now a figure of distant campaigns. Mary Glassman is many things, an anti-establishment outsider is not one of them.

Next! This morning of reality checks finds state Representative Prasad Srinivasan (R-Glastonbury) exploring a Friday switch from the contest for governor to the one for secretary of the state. His supporters are making calls to weigh his chances at today’s convention, Daily Ructions has learned. Srinivasan enjoyed a fast fundraising start in 2017 when he became a candidate for governor. Delegates, however, have not followed.  The roll call for governor would likely see the Glastonbury allergist eliminated on the first ballot with no prospect of joining others in the August primary for governor.

Srinivasan would face former New Fairfield first selectman Susan Chapman, and would have a shot at winning the convention endorsement.

Update: The Srinivasan campaign says the candidate is not considering a bid for secretary of the state. (Pssst–He might want to tell some of his people to stop making calls testing his support for the late switch.)

The Lady Macbeth of Connecticut Republicans plunged her dagger into running mate Peter Tesei Friday morning. Erin Stewart is running for lieutenant governor. It is the first high profile act of treachery in the hours before Republicans convene for their nominating convention today.

It was only last month that Stewart was highlighting Tesei’s broad experience and perfection her partner in the race to lead Connecticut.

Stewart, a late entry into the race for governor, was running a shambles of a campaign and was likely to fall short of the 15% she needed to qualify for the August primary. The third term New Britain mayor struggled to find answers to substantive questions and was not as particular in keeping fundraising commitments as a candidate needs to be.

A practiced hand at betrayal is a skill that Republicans may not want to reward.