Fireworks Expected At Three-Way CT Gubernatorial Debate

• UPDATE: Daily Voice coverage of Wednesday's debate can be read by clicking here.

The addition of a third, independent candidate for the debate at the University of Connecticut should stir up the race for governor.

For those who watched the last televised debate, on Sept. 17  as reported here by Daily Voice, it degraded into name calling and "he said, he didn't say," by Democrat Ned Lamont and Republican Bob Stefanowski.

Prior to the Wednesday, Sept. 26, debate, petitioning independent candidate Richard Nelson "Oz" Griebel of Hartford released part of his tax returns for the past three years and dared the two major party candidates to do the same.  

Griebel released income totals on Tuesday, Sept. 25, but withheld other details like tax deductions on mortgage interest and charitable contributions. Neither Lamont nor Stefanowski has released any income tax details.

Griebel is a former banker, lawyer, and was a Republican primary candidate in the 2010 gubernatorial election.

Griebel will join Lamont of Greenwich and Stefanowski of Madison on stage at the WFSB/University of Connecticut debate at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts on the Storrs, CT, campus. The 60-minute debate will be broadcast live on WFSB.

Griebel and Lamont participated in the first post-primary debate, which was not televised. Stefanowski skipped that one. Griebel was not included in the two subsequent televised debates, which were covered by Daily Voice here as well as here.

Griebel is expected to shake up tonight's debate format by taking up about one third of the speaking time and adding a third dimension to the discussion.

Two other minor party candidates who qualified for the Nov. 6  ballot — Libertarian Rod Hanscomb and Mark Stewart Greenstein of the Amigo Constitution Party — were not invited tonight.

This debate is Griebel's best chance to insert himself as a factor in the governor's race, giving him new name recognition and fund-raising chances pitted against two wealthy businessmen who have heavily self-financed their own campaigns.

In past statewide elections, Connecticut voters have been receptive to independent candidates. 

On Thursday, Sept. 27, Griebel’s running-mate, Monte Frank, will join Democrat Susan Bysiewicz and Republican Joe Markley at a WFSB debate that will be streamed online. 

Lamont and Stefanowski have agreed to two final debates, on Oct. 18 sponsored by the Connecticut Association of Broadcasters and an Oct. 30 sponsored by the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, WTNH-TV and The Hartford Courant.

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