Ganim Qualifies For Dem's Primary Challenge To Lamont, Who Welcomes Debates

Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim’s petition drive to force a Democratic gubernatorial primary has prevailed.

Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim gathered enough candidacy petition signatures to launch a Democratic bid for governor in the August primary election.
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06/21/2018 9:30 a.m.

Ganim said the Secretary of the State has confirmed he had legally collected the minimum 15,458 signatures needed to challenge the political party's endorsed candidate -- Ned Lamont of Greenwich -- in an Aug. 14 primary. Ganim supporters collected more than 32,000 signatures.

On Wednesday, Lamont invited candidates who qualified for the ballot to join him in three gubernatorial debates.

Lamont is confirmed to participate in:

The Connecticut Association of Realtors Democratic and WTNH News Channel 8 Debate in July; exact date to be determined.
The Hearst Connecticut Media and Sacred Heart University Debate moderated by Connecticut Post reporter Ken Dixon and Gary Rose, professor and chairman of the university’s Department of Government, Politics and Global Studies on July 26.
The WFSB Democratic Gubernatorial Debate, moderated by Dennis House, Eyewitness News anchor and host of “Face the State,” date to be determined.

“Ned is no stranger to primaries," said Marc Bradley, Lamont’s campaign manager. "We are ready to compare Ned’s ideas for Connecticut and his leadership on a wide-range of issues spanning more than two decades to the record of anyone else running for governor."

Meanwhile, David Stemerman and Bob Stefanowski had enough petition signatures to qualify to run in the Republican gubernatorial primary.

They will join endorsed candidate Mark Boughton, Tim Herbst and Steve Obsitnik on the GOP ballot.

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