Connecticut Democratic and Republican voters selected a pair of business executives in the August 14 primary elections as their party's candidates for the state's next governor.
Greenwich's Ned Lamont, running in his third statewide primary election, took the Democratic nomination with a landslide victory over Bridgeport mayor Joe Ganim, winning every city and town except Bridgeport.
Lamont, the party's endorsed candidate, lost the 2010 Democratic gubernatorial primary to Governor Dannel Malloy, who is not running for reelection after two terms in office.
Madison political outsider Bob Stefanowski won the five-candidate Republican primary, defeating Danbury mayor Mark Boughton, former Greenwich hedge fund manager David Stemerman, former Trumbull first selectman Tim Herbst, and Westport tech entrepreneur Steve Obsitnik.
Stefanowski, who bypassed the May GOP convention, is the first petitioning candidate in Connecticut history to win a major party's nomination for statewide office. Boughton won the Republican endorsement at the convention.
Stefanowski won 116 of Connecticut's 169 cities and towns, with Boughton winning 25, Stemerman and Herbst 13 each, and Obsitnik two.
Almost a third of the state's 453,625 registered Republicans voted in the gubernatorial primary, compared with 28% of the 771,412 registered Democrats. Connecticut's 861,766 unaffiliated voters—the state's largest voting bloc—were ineligible to vote in Tuesday's primaries.
Running Mates
Lamont will share the Democratic ticket with former state legislator and secretary of state Susan Bysiewicz, who defeated union organizer Eva Bermudez Zimmerman in the primary election for lieutenant governor.
State senator Joe Markley, from Plantsville, will be Stefanowski's running mate after winning the GOP primary over New Britain mayor Erin Stewart and Darien first selectman Jayme Stevenson.
Independent candidate Oz Greibel will also be on the gubernatorial ballot in November after collecting the 10,000-plus signatures needed to qualify. The former head of the MetroHartford Alliance is running with Newtown attorney Monte Frank.
Almost a third of the state's registered Republicans voted in the gubernatorial primary, compared with 28% of registered Democrats.
Tong will face former state prosecutor Sue Hatfield, who defeated former state representative John Shaban in the Republican primary.
Former Hartford City Council president Shawn Wooden won the Democratic state treasurer primary over one-time Wall Street financier Dita Bhargava and will face retired Lakeville investment banker Thad Gray. Gray defeated state senator Art Linares in the Republican primary.
Seymour first selectman Kurt Miller won the GOP primary for state comptroller over business executive Mark Greenberg and meets Democrat incumbent Kevin Lembo in the general election.
Governor, Statewide Primary Results
Governor | |||
Democratic Primary | Republican Primary | ||
Ned Lamont*Joe Ganim | 81%19% | Bob StefanowskiMark Boughton*David StemermanTim HerbstSteve Obsitnik | 29%21%18%18%13% |
Lieutenant Governor | |||
Susan Bysiewicz*Eva Bermudez Zimmerman | 62%38% | Joe Markley*Erin StewartJayme Stevenson | 47%33%20% |
Attorney General | |||
William Tong*Chris MatteiPaul Doyle | 57%26%17% | Sue Hatfield*John Shaban | 79%21% |
Comptroller | |||
Kurt Miller*Mark Greenberg | 52%48% | ||
Treasurer | |||
Shawn Wooden*Dita Bhargava | 57%43% | Thad Gray*Art Linares | 56%44% |
*Party endorsed candidate
State Senate Primaries
State representative Matt Lesser defeated House colleague Tony Guerrera in the Democratic primary for the 9th Senate District seat left vacant following incumbent Paul Doyle's decision to run for attorney general.
Lesser faces Rocky Hill Town Council minority leader Ed Charamut in the general election. Charamut won the GOP nomination over college student Tyler Flanigan.
Former state representative Vickie Nardello beat party-endorsed candidate Dagmara Scalise by just 37 votes in the 16th Senate District Democratic primary.
She will challenge GOP state representative Rob Sampson in November to fill the seat currently held by Markley, the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor.
In Milford, Republican state representative Pam Staneski will contest the 14th Senate District seat left vacant by retiring Democrat Gayle Slossberg after winning the primary over Board of Aldermen minority leader Anthony Giannattasio. She faces former Democratic state representative James Maroney.
Senate District | ||||
Democratic Primary | Republican Primary | |||
9th (Cromwell, Middletown, Newington, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield) | Matt LesserTony Guerrera* | 56%44% | Ed Charamut*Tyler Flanigan | 52%48% |
13th (Cheshire, Meriden, Middlefield, Middletown) | Mary Daugherty Adams*Alex Tiktinsky | 76%24% | ||
14th (Milford, Orange, West Haven, Woodbridge) | Pam StaneskiAnthony Giannattasio* | 68%32% | ||
16th (Cheshire, Prospect, Southington, Waterbury, Wolcott) | Vicki NardelloDagmara Scalise* | 50.3%49.6* | ||
17th (Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Derby, Hamden, Naugatuck, Woodbridge) | Jorge Cabrera*Valerie HorsleySean Grace | 38%33%29% | ||
23rd (Bridgeport, Stratford) | Dennis Bradley*Aaron Turner | 55%45% | John Rodriguez*Casimir Mizera | 51%49% |
34th (Durham, East Haven, North Haven, Wallingford) | Aili McKeen*Josh Balter | 71%29% | ||
*Party endorsed candidate
State House Primaries
Two incumbent Democratic state representatives lost primary races Tuesday, with Education Committee co-chair Andy Fleischmann the most notable casualty.
Fleischmann, who has held the West Hartford-based 18th House District seat since 1995, was defeated by non-profit director Jillian Gilchrest.
In Stamford, Terry Adams lost his bid for a third term representing the 146th House District, winning less than a third of the primary vote against environmental activist David Michel.
In Hartford, Democrat Minnie Gonzalez fended off a challenge from gay rights activist Gannon Long for the 3rd House District she has held for 22 years.
Two-term Democratic incumbent Brandon McGee overcame losing the party's endorsement for the Hartford-based 5th House District to primary challenger Lawrence Jaggon, a Windsor nurse.
Three-term incumbent Charlie Stallworth defeated former Bridgeport Housing Authority commissioner Shanté Hanks in the 126th House District Democratic primary.
House District | ||||
Democratic Primary | Republican Primary | |||
3rd (Hartford) | Minnie Gonzalez*+Gannon Long | 65%35% | ||
5th (Hartford, | Brandon McGee+Lawrence Jaggon* | 74%26% | ||
18th (West Hartford) | Jillian GilchrestAndy Fleischmann*+ | 52%48% | ||
29th (Newington, | Kerry WoodChristopher Duff* | 54%46% | ||
38th (Montville, Waterford) | Baird Welch-Collins*Patrick MurphyNick Gauthier | 37%36%27% | ||
43rd (North | Kate Rotella*Chris Donahue | 53%47% | ||
60th (Windsor, | Jane Garibay*Kathleen Tracy | 67%33% | ||
100th (Middletown) | Anthony GennaroTyrell Brown* | 65%35% | ||
116th (New Haven, | Richard DePalma*Roman Khondker | 64%36% | ||
126th (Bridgeport) | Charlie Stallworth+Shanté Hanks* | 52%48% | ||
128th (Bridgeport) | Ethan BookLuis Colon* | 79%21% | ||
140th (Norwalk) | Travis Simms*Colin Hosten | 53%47% | ||
146th (Stamford) | David Michel*Terry Adams+ | 68%32% | ||
147th (Darien, Stamford) | Anzelmo Graziosi*Marcy Minnick | 62%38% | ||
*Party endorsed candidate; +Incumbent
Congressional Primaries
Waterbury high school teacher Jahana Hayes was a convincing winner in the Democratic primary for the 5th U.S. House District, defeating former Simsbury first selectman Mary Glassman.
Democrat incumbent Elizabeth Esty is not seeking a fourth term for the seat, which stretches from Meriden and New Britain west to Danbury and the Litchfield Hills.
Hayes will face former Meriden mayor Manny Santos this fall. Santos won the Republican primary over retired Southbury college professor Ruby Corby O'Neill and Watertown manufacturing consultant Richard DuPont.
Hartford bar owner Matthew Corey will challenge first-term Democratic incumbent Chris Murphy after winning the Republican U.S. Senate primary against Hamden sales executive Dominic Rapini.
U.S. Senate | |||
Democratic Primary | Republican Primary | ||
Matthew Corey*Dominic Rapini | 77%23% | ||
5th U.S. House District | |||
Jahana HayesMary Glassman* | 62%38% | Manny Santos*Ruby Corby O'NeillRichard DuPont | 51%27%22% |