Enter Guy L. Smith IV. Retired Diageo Executive to Launch Bid for Governor. Others Ponder Entering Wide-Open Field.

The deluge begins. Greenwich Democrat Guy L. Smith IV, retired Diageo executive vice president, will run for governor, Daily Ructions can report.

Smith worked on a Bill Clinton campaign and also in the Clinton White House. He was, according to his Facebook page, a spokesperson for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign.

A native Tennesseean Smith’s first test will be a robust early round of fundraising. He has begun assembling a team of campaign staffers and consultants.

Watch for William Tong, who ran unsuccessful races for the U.S. Senate and mayor of Stamford, to to get into the race. Democrat Tong has had some close calls in his Stamford legislative seat.

Ned Lamont’s name (you remember him) has also been mentioned as a Democratic candidate for governor. Lamont, former member of an all-white Greenwich club, self-funded a memorable 2006 campaign against incumbent U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman and suffered a 2010 decisive loss to Dannel P. Malloy in the Democratic primary for governor.