Two self-funding millionaires Tuesday secured their spots at the top of the ballot in the November 6 election.
Ned Lamont, now the undisputed Democratic Party nominee for governor, trounced Joe Ganim in a race that was called by The Associated Press just 30 minutes after primary polls closed at 8 p.m.
Bob Stefanowski's victory speech came a few hours later. Still it was much earlier than many closely following the five-way GOP gubernatorial primary had predicted. His four Republican rivals, including runner-up Mark Boughton, all conceded defeat by 10:30 p.m.
It was a night generally friendly to statewide office seekers backed by their parties' establishment. Both convention-endorsed lieutenant governor candidates, Republican Joe Markley and Democrat Susan Bysiewicz, kept challengers in their rearview mirrors.
Where that trend didn't hold true, the Democratic Party contest in Connecticut's Fifth Congressional District, upstart Jahana Hayes topped political veteran Mary Glassman, winning about 60 percent of the vote.
What do wins by Lamont and Stefanowski mean for the vitality of the state's public campaign financing program? Will the mediocre voter turnout repeat itself in the midterm election?
This hour we'll do our best to put the primary results into context as only we can.
GUESTS:
- Colin McEnroe - Host of The Colin McEnroe Show on WNPR (@colinmcenroe)
- Susan Bigelow - Contributor - CTNewsJunkie (@whateversusan)
- Mark Pazniokas - Capitol Bureau Chief at the Connecticut Mirror (@CTMirrorPaz)