Ethically challenged Democrat Dan Esty is making calls in the aftermath of Kevin Lembo’s Thursday retreat from the governor’s race, Daily Ructions can report. The Cheshire Democrat’s interest in a bid for the 2018 Democratic nomination for governor was revived when Lembo announced he would rather pursue his policy passions from the comptroller’s office than in the state’s highest office.

Esty served as Democrat Daniel P. Malloy’s first commissioner of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. He was in the administration when it passed the largest tax increase in the state’s history. Esty, who is married to the heiress and Fifth District U.S. Representative Elizabeth Esty, ran into trouble when he failed to disclose his lucrative relationship with Northeast Utilities (now Eversource) in his ethics filing required as a high-ranking administration official.

Esty may find public financing campaign rules a challenge. They do not allow transfers from the family fortune to campaign coffers, which proved so helpful to Elizabeth Esty in her 2012 bid for Congress. That may be why Dan Esty’s initial calls have been to test his ability to attract party donors and fundraisers.

It’s a return to the sidelines for State Comptroller Kevin Lembo. The two term Democrat abandoned his exploratory campaign for governor. Lembo announced he will seek a third term as comptroller.

Lembo has been seen often lately at lunch in Hartford with Democratic lieutenant governor and Malloy nodded Nancy Wyman. The Tolland Democrat has not announced her 2018 plans but is said to be receiving encouragement to run from people who would profit from the continuation of the Malloy administration.

Manchester Republican Matt Corey is a candidate for the 2018 Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate. If nominated, Corey will face Democratic incumbent Chris Murphy.

Corey ran for the House of Representatives in 2012, 2014, and 2016 against longtime Democratic incumbent John B. Larson. Corey ran as an independent in his first race against Larson and then as a Republican in the next two.

Corey owns a window washing business and McKinnon’s Irish Pub in Downtown Hartford. You can read Chris Keating’s 2016 profile of Corey here.

You don’t have to be a veteran of New York politics to know you cross Andrew Cuomo (or any other governor of the Empire State) at your peril. Former Bridgeport mayor Bill Finch, who had fatal trouble figuring out how to get his name on the ballot in 2015, didn’t understand that he was not in Connecticut anymore.

Finch, who lost a bitter Democratic primary for mayor to Joseph Ganim two years ago, is out as head of the New York Thruway Authority after failing to bring appropriate enthusiasm to Governor Cuomo’s proposal to convert to cashless tolls.

Politico New York has the story. 

Whiskey Patriot J.R. Romano, who also serves as the chairman of the Connecticut Republican State Central Committee, has some dubious associates. One of them is fellow Whiskey Patriot Kyle Reyes, who posted this astonishing video on Facebook admitting to “a dark thought” on the Neo-Nazi violence in Charlottesville on Saturday. “These protesters were not the people we were lead to believe they are,” Reyes states as he opines on events from the front seat of a car. “None of this adds up.” The video is bizarre on its own. That these are the thoughts of a video partner of the Republican state chairman is chilling. The bizarro fringe is no place from which to lead a major political party.

Here is the link to the provocateur Reyes’ Facebook video.

You can find Whiskey Patriots videos here and here.

He's in full-time. Thaddeus Gray has given up his job in finance to devote his full efforts to seeking the Republican nomination for State Treasurer. He made the announcement on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/thadgray18/status/896078533683888128

Take note. Candidates will find this is much harder to accomplish than they expect when they embark on a race for governor.

State Senate leader Len Fasano will not seek the Republican nomination for governor, the North Haven Republican announced Wednesday morning. The announcement diminishes the odds of a Republican victory in 2018 and deals a blow to the state’s chances to reverse its economic decline.

Fasano has lead a revival of Republican fortunes. Under his leadership the Republicans added three seats to their caucus in the 2016, tying and disorienting the Democrats, who have held the majority since 1997. Fasano had thought he could wait until after a state budget was enacted to make an announcement. Democrats, however, refuse to vote on a budget, any budget, especially the one proposed by the Senate Republicans.

Here is Fasano’s statement:

“Today I want to announce that after considerable thought I have made the decision that I will not seek the Republican nomination for governor in 2018. I want to thank the many individuals who contacted me and encouraged me to run. I also want to thank my family and friends for their constant support as I came to this decision. My family has always encouraged and motivated me to work hard serving our state and would have supported my decision either way. This was a very difficult decision but in the end the impact to my family, who depend upon me and count on me every day, ultimately was the foundation for my decision.

“My original intention was to wait until the state budget was resolved to make a decision about running for governor. But as the budget process has persisted, and it does not seem likely that a vote will take place before the end of the month, I knew it was time to choose my path and let others know where I stand. It is only fair to the other hard working candidates, delegates, the party and the public to be upfront so that others can make important decisions to move the election process forward.

“I firmly believe Connecticut needs a Republican governor. Connecticut is a great state, but it is in trouble. People are suffering every day from huge financial burdens and the effects of a fiscally unstable state government. We need to move Connecticut in a different direction to create stability and restore confidence so we can grow opportunity for all people. We need a Republican leader in the governor’s seat who brings political parties and people together, who is sensitive to the needs of all economic levels, who understands the importance of supporting our cities, and who can grow a stable economy so we can fund core programs that are important to this state. Connecticut is ready to overcome our challenges and ready to change.  I look forward to ushering in that change.

“I will continue my efforts to build a better future for our state through my work in the state Senate. I am truly blessed and honored to serve our great state and its people every day and I thank all those who have chosen me to represent their voices in Hartford.”

Republicans hope to pick up additional seats in 2018. If so, Fasano would be in line to become president of the legislature’s upper chamber.

There he goes again. State Comptroller Kevin Lembo, fresh off many years on the sidelines, keeps saying his 2010 comptroller race was his first bid for public office. It wasn’t. This 2010 State Elections Enforcement Commission decision found that Lembo was a candidate for lieutenant governor before he exited that race in favor of Nancy Wyman, which created an opportunity in the Democratic race for comptroller as part of the Malloy team.

Lembo tells potential contributors in a solicitation sent today, “When I first ran for Comptroller, I had never run for political office in my life.” It’s not the first time Lembo has made that claim—and it’s still not true.

Three Senate Democrats looked into the abyss and decided to push Connecticut into it. Democrats Paul Doyle, Joan Hartley, and Gayle Slossberg were afraid to stand by what they suggested are their beliefs by voting to reject a ruinous labour deal. To distract from their flight, the trio issued what they called Twelve Reforms. Some of them would become law in 2027.