Ned Lamont gathered Democratic victors and vanquished a few days after the wealthy retired businessman won his party’s nomination for governor in a thumping victory. The event signaled Democrats that leaders from all strains of the party are united behind the ticket primary voters chose on August 14th. There’s nothing unusual about a post-primary unity event. What’s odd is that the Republicans have yet to hold one in the aftermath of Bob Stefanowski’s win in a crowded field of five rivals. The Madison Republican and Chris Dodd supporter won 30% of the vote. He needs the losing candidates to engage in a robust demonstration of support. It’s yet to happen.

Stefanowski, who has a pronounced preference for dialing for advice, has been busy on the phone with all sorts of people.  There’s been no congenial event of the faithful who supported other candidates in the contest for governor. Town committee chairs leaders are having the devil’s own time getting the campaign’s attention. Those that do reach Stefanowski campaign aides have noticed a distinct tone of dismissive triumphalism in their conversations. The sort of treatment a troubled customer might get in a pawn shop or payday lender. Some activists are beginning to conclude that their time will be better spent assisting legislative candidate, where the best chance of meaningful victories reside.

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.

Here’s the opinion issued Tuesday by Superior Court Judge Susan Peck.

State Senator Joseph Markley (R-Southington) won the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor a week ago, six days after making another late payment of his local real estate taxes. Southington online tax records show that Markley, who owns a home with his sister, has been late paying the semiannual bill the last five times they were due, including the most recent.

Markley, who defeated Erin Stewart and Jayme Stevenson in the party primary last week, tells Daily Ructions, “Relative to the taxes on the home in Southington I own jointly with my sister (a property we inherited from our mother): In recent years we have made several late payments, with interest, creating an additional expense for us personally.  Our taxes are current and will remain so.”

Markley’s running mate, Christopher Dodd donor Bob Stefanowski, has been touting a fantasist’s delight of a tax plan that would repeal the state income tax. Stefanowski’s delusion would add thousands to local property taxes, making Markley’s twice-a-year challenge more of a struggle.

U.S. Senator Christopher Murphy (D-CT) also failed to pay taxes on time when he represented Southington in the state legislature. Murphy, readers may remember, also had trouble remembering that a mortgage payment is due from lender to borrower each month.

With the primaries done, voters will want to learn more about the two major party contenders. New voter Bob Stefanowski, a Democrat this year and a Republican now, is a self-financing stranger to most. This would be an appropriate time to release several years of tax returns. Ned Lamont made his taxes available in a sealed room during his 2006 campaign for the U.S. Senate. After a long hiatus from politics, this is the right time to give the public a fresh look.

Tax returns have become an issue in the New York Democratic race for governor. Challenger Cynthia Nixon released one year, but incumbent Andrew Cuomo and his surrogates want to see more.

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.

Good news from Hamden. The Quinnipiac University Poll is back home in Connecticut. The respected survey, according to spokesman JohnAnthony DiMaria, “is planning a survey of Connecticut voters, asking their opinions of candidates for governor, sometime in the next month.”

The long primary campaign that concludes today has not featured any credible polling available to the public.

Aretha Franklin is nearing the end of her sizzling life of providing wonderment to the world. Here she is with three other legends in a 1973 tribute to Duke Ellington, who had a hand in planning the lineup of talent. Take a moment to remember what a constellation of talent Aretha Franklin thrived in.