Crowded Field of Candidates Emerges to Succeed Malloy as Connecticut's Governor

By Jack Kramer, Correspondent

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy may not want another term but plenty of others want his job. Malloy announced on Friday that he won’t seek a third, four-year term as governor in 2018. Even though the election is 19 months there is a crowded field of Republicans and Democrats already looking to replace Malloy – whose polling numbers show he is the most unpopular Democratic governor in the country and the third most unpopular overall.

On the Republican side, David M. Walker, of Bridgeport, who served as United States Comptroller General from 1998 to 2008, and founded the Comeback America Initiative, submitted papers to run for the Republican nomination for governor this week. (To sign up for free, local breaking news alerts from more than 100 Connecticut communities click here.)

Walker joins fellow Republicans including Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti, Rep. Prasad Srinivasan of Glastonbury, Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, Trumbull First Selectman Tim Herbst, and former Coventry Town Councilman Micah Welinktukonis as candidates who have formally filed with the State Elections Enforcement Commission.

See also: Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy Won't Seek Third Term

According to recent reports filed by the candidates, Srinivasan raised more than $138,000 in the first quarter for 2017 for his gubernatorial run; Herbst raised $83,444. Boughton, who announced his third potential run for governor last November, has raised $91,161 since he got into the race.

Peter Lumaj, who ran for U.S. Senate in 2012 and Secretary of the State in 2014, opened up an exploratory committee last year. He has not said what statewide office he’s seeking, but he has raised about $206,705.

On the Democratic side, Middletown Mayor Dan Drew and Jacey Wyatt, a former candidate for First Selectman in Branford, have filed their papers to run for governor.

There also has been another half-dozen or so names of potential candidates who have either expressed an interest or have had their names mentioned, but they’ve yet to formally file papers with the state.

Included in that list is Ted Kennedy, Jr., state senator from Branford. Other Democratic possibilities include Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman, Comptroller Kevin Lembo, Bridgeport Mayor Joseph Ganim, and Chris Mattei, former chief of the financial fraud and public corruption unit with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Connecticut, and New Haven Mayor Toni Harp.

Patch file photo